Question of the Week

Space, the final frontier...

Today at 4:50 pm, space shuttle Discovery will blast off on its final mission into space.  On board Discovery are six astronauts, the Permanent Multipurpose Module which will become sort of a storage closet for the space station, and Robonaut 2, the first dextrous humanoid robot to go into space. Robonaut 2 will test his ability to operate in zero gravity and will eventually become an astronaut's helper.


If astronauts received frequent flyer miles while in space, how many would they receive on a typical shuttle mission?

Answer:  The typical shuttle mission orbits the Earth 250 times - about 6.6 million frequent flyer miles!

Great Backyard Bird Count

Hazel Erikson, TN, GBBC 2010

What is it?  The Great Backyard Bird Count engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds over a 4-day period.  This annual bird population survey creates a real-time snapshot of bird populations throughout the US and Canada and helps researchers better understand birds and their behavior.

Who can do it?  You can!  Anyone may participate.  You may count birds for as little as 15 minutes or for as long as you like each day of the event.

When is it?  This weekend - Friday, February 18 through Monday, February 21.

Where do I count?  Anywhere!  Birds are all around us - your backyard, a park, a farm, or the city.  You may go to a particular place to count or you may count wherever you happen to be.

How do I report my count?  Go to the Great Backyard Bird Count website "How to Participate" page - all you need to know is there: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html

Enjoy your weekend and happy counting!

Question of the Week

Happy Valentine's Day!  Sure, Valentine's Day is about love and your significant other, but Valentine's Day is also about chocolate.  How much do you know about this delicious and tempting treat?

Which statement(s) below are true?
     a.  Chocolate causes cavities.
     b.  Chocolate causes acne.
     c.  Chocolate raises cholesterol levels.
     d.  Chocolate causes headaches.
     e.  Chocolate is addictive.
     f.  Chocolate lovers live longer.

Answer:  f is the only totally true statement in the list.

(a) Chocolate does not cause cavities by itself but the added sugar might. 
(b) Studies have shown that eating chocolate does not cause acne; in fact, doctors believe that acne may not be linked to diet at all. 
(c) Chocolate does not raise LDL (bad cholesterol) because the stearic acid in chocolate is a neutral fat that does not raise cholesterol levels. 
(d) A few studies show that migraine headaches may be triggered by chocolate, but there is little evidence that it causes other headaches (so if you answered d, you may count your answer correct).
(e) People claim to be addicted to chocolate, but there is no hard evidence that it is physically addicting.

(f) Eating chocolate may help you live longer.  A Harvard University study found that men who ate chocolate lived one year longer than those who didn't.  Scientists believe that chocolate contains chemicals that keep the blood vessels elastic, plus chocolate may increase beneficial antioxidants levels in the bloodstream.  So enjoy a candy bar every now and then - without guilt.

Question of the Week

Friday, February 11, is Thomas Edison's birthday.  Probably the greatest inventor of modern time, Edison accumulated over 1000 patents, over twice that of other prolific inventors.  His inventions include the light bulb, motion picture camera, phonograph, stock ticker, mechanical vote recorder, electric car battery, and electrical power.  Edison's ingenuity has profoundly influenced people's everyday lives and serves as inspiration to aspiring engineers and inventors.


What was Thomas Edison's favorite invention?

Answer:  Of all the wonderful things Thomas Edison invented, his favorite was the phonograph.  Edison had profound hearing loss at an early age and was technically deaf by his teen years, so that makes the phonograph an interesting choice.

The SR-71: Designed with a Slide Ruler!

So you've probably seen the big black plane outside of the Virginia Aviation Museum when you're on your way to the airport. But what exactly is it?


This plane is the SR-71 Blackbird and was manufactured by Lockheed under the direction of the CIA. After World War II, the United States wanted to maintain a close watch on Soviet missile and nuclear weapon production. To do this a plane was needed that could fly very high and very fast to both escape incoming missiles and to avoid detection by Soviet radar, all while taking photographs of what was going on below.

Flying at altitudes above 80,000 feet meant that the aircraft would be very hot but in very cold temperatures. Because of this virtually everything on the aircraft had to be specifically designed for the SR-71: even the washers! In addition, keep in mind that this is 1960s technology- the engineers of the SR-71 used a slide ruler to design this aircraft, there were no computers.
So what exactly can this plane do?


The SR-71:

• Can fly at a top speed of Mach 3.3 or 2,200 miles in one hour
• Can climb to an altitude of 85,000 feet where the curvature of the earth is visible
• Is constructed of 93% titanium
• Has a special coating of black paint that radiates heat away from the aircraft and into the cold high-altitude air
• Reaches a temperature of 600 degrees Fahrenheit at cruising speeds with a max temperature of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit at the engine
• Grows in length about three to four inches and widens one to two inches during flight as a result of the intense heat it generates
• Carries 80,000 pounds of fuel
• Can stay in flight for two and a half to four and a half hours with at least one in-flight refuel
• Can fly from New York to London in 1 hour and 55 minutes
• Can fly from Los Angeles to Washington, DC in 64 minutes

Only 32 of these aircraft were made and only 20 survive (though none were shot down by enemy fire- the SR-71 was able to 'outrun' any missile sent its way). VAM's SR-71 is on loan from the National Museum of the US Air Force. The SR-71 still holds the Air Speed Record by a manned airbreathing jet since 1976. This makes it the fastest known aircraft in existence- but makes me wonder just how fast the current classified US jets can go...

Question of the Week

Groundhog Day

This Wednesday, cute and cuddly Punxsutawney Phil (officially known as "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary") will emerge (well, actually, he will be pulled) from his burrow to predict how much longer winter will last.  If he sees his shadow, we will have 6 more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, spring is on the way.

Groundhog Day was first celebrated in Pennsylvania on February 2, 1886, making this the 125th anniversary. 

Do you know why February 2 was selected as the official date?

Extra Credit:  Do you think Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow this year?

Answer:  February 2 is approximately the middle of winter or halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.  The tradition was brought to Pennsylvania by German settlers and was originally called Candlemas Day.

In case you have not heard, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow.  Will we have an early spring this year?  Only time will tell...

Wings of World War II

Before the United States became involved in the Second World War, the US Army Air Corps published specifications of the various badges or “wings” for those serving in military aircraft. Each wing was to be no more than three inches from tip to tip and made of sterling silver (although many are simply silver plated and others were made of bronze and some in gold). Various manufacturers throughout the US made these wings by following the simple description of design issued for each by the War Department. Here are a few of the nearly 250 wings from the Virginia Aviation Museum collection.


Pilot Wings

Pilot wings were described by the War Department as “The shield of the United States of America without stars in the shield at the center of the wings”.

Senior Pilot Wings

The Senior Pilot wings look the same as the Pilot wings but with a star over the shield. These wings were given to pilots who had given five years of service and at least 1,500 hours in flight.

Women’s Air Service Pilot Wings

Also known as WASPs, the Women’s Air Service Pilot wings were issued to women who served as pilots in non-combat missions. Things wings have a small diamond shaped center and are considered to be highly rare.

Glider Pilot Wings

While being a pilot in WWII was a dangerous job, being a glider pilot was often considered even more so as the Glider Pilot flew unarmed aircraft of supplies and troops behind enemy lines. These wings are rare as there were only 6,000 glider pilots during the war and consist of “the letter G in clear relief against a horizontally lined background on the outline of the shield of the United States”.


Liaison Pilot WingsThe Liaison pilot acted as an observer and assisted in delivering medical aid, aircraft, and weaponry. This badge has an "L" in the center of the shield and the person who bore it often flew smaller aircraft such as Piper Cubs.

Air Crew Wings

This is a very common badge from the WWII era. It was issued after fifteen combat flight hours to those in a great variety of positions including aerial gunners, crew chiefs, radio operators and others who were a part of an aircraft’s flight crew. This badge consists of “the coat of arms of the United States in clear relief against horizontally lined back-ground on a disk with a raised rim”.

There are a great many more wings including Flight Surgeon wings, Aerial Gunner wings, and Air Transport Command wings, just to name a few. As a result of the many companies that manufactured wings during the war, there are slight variations in each: shield sizes will vary, as does the amount of detail on the feather of the wings.

Do you have any WWII era wings that need identifying? Post a comment below and I’ll do my best to determine what you have.