A Brief History On December 18, 1981, the Soviet Union put into flight the largest combat airplane ever made, the Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack heavy bomber. The Blackjack (which the NATO name, Russians call it White Swan) is also the largest Mach 2 supersonic airplane to ever fly, and is the largest variable swept wing airplane to fly. It remains the longest and heaviest bomber ever built, with a length 18 feet more than a B-52. Although built only in small numbers, the development of this giant, fast bomber stoked panic in Western democracies during the Cold War and provided fuel…
Browsing: December 18
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A Brief History Science fiction dramedy fans, here is your chance to be among the first in Cleveland to see Downsizing on Monday, December 18, 2017 at 7:00 PM at Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio! Please visit http://www.gofobo.com/HHDOWNSIZING for the chance to download a pass. Passes are limited and seating is first-come, first-served and not guaranteed. Please arrive early to increase chance of entry. Digging Deeper Downsizing imagines what might happen if, as a solution to over-population, Norwegian scientists discover how to shrink humans to five inches tall and propose a 200-year global transition from big to small. People soon…
A Brief History On December 18, 1982, arguably the greatest combat pilot in German military history died of a stroke in Rosenheim, Bavaria, West Germany. Hans-Ulrich Rudel is credited with shooting down only 9 enemy airplanes, and yet eclipses such German legendary aces as Baron Manfred von Richthofen (80 aerial kills, #1 during World War II) and Erich Hartman, history’s all-time leading ace with 353 air to air kills without ever being shot down or forced to land by enemy airplanes (all during World War II). Digging Deeper Rudel performed his heroics mainly at the stick of the JU-87 Stuka…
A Brief History On December 18, 1898, French race car driver Gaston de Chassaloup-Laubat set the first recognized World Record for Land Speed at an unimpressive 63.13 kilometers per hour (39.25 mph). (Note: For Land Speed Record we are referring to human steered vehicles powered by a motor of some type, and not considering bicycles or horseback riding.) Digging Deeper Gaston was driving a Jeantaud electric car for his record run, and at that time when automobiles were in their infancy it was not yet clear which means of propulsion would become preeminent, whether gasoline, electric, steam or diesel powered…
A Brief History On December 18, 1932, the first National Football League (NFL) championship football game ever was played between the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans. Obviously, this is what you would call an historic game, but for more reasons than you would think. For one thing, due to a blizzard, it had to be relocated from Wrigley field to Chicago Stadium which had a field only 80 yards long! Blasphemy! Here 10 such historic football games, both memorable and significant, are presented. Can you think of any others to add? Digging Deeper 10. First NFL Championship, Chicago Bears vs. Portsmouth Spartans, 1932.…
