Articles written by Dave Jackson

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About me - Dave Jackson

About me? Well I'm enjoying my third career now and haven't even died of old age yet! Being a famous writer was an interesting goal decades ago but I developed a terrible addiction to eating food and living in a warm building so I ended up working for a living

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Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) Is it worth the expense to hire a professional painter?: 1 of 11
Yes, Absolutely! As a journeyman painter, my opinion is certainly biased, but I've had to correct an awful lot of DIY "horror shows" over my career. In many cases, the cost of returning the property back to a professional level of quality is double. That being said, it is possible for a handy homeowner to do a nice job, espec... More..
Sciences > Physics Bernoulli's principle of lift: 2 of 14
If only Daniel Bernoulli and Sir Isaac Newton were alive today. They would have been truly amazed to see an Airbus A380 rise off the runway and climb six miles into the sky. Great scientists as they were, a discussion about who's ideas best explain the spectacle would surely have taken place. What an interesting discussion it... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Military Aircraft All about the F-4 Phantom: 1 of 7
The launch of Sputnik signaled the beginning of the Soviet ICBM threat. Nuclear missiles could soon rain down from space. The bomber vs. interceptor game would soon be over, causing the cancellation of several excellent interceptor aircraft. Thankfully, McDonnell Aircraft didn't believe this for a second. Huge numbers of Sovi... More..
Sciences > Physics How airplanes generate lift: 1 of 7
35 years before I became an aircraft mechanic, I asked myself this same question. My friends and I finally decided that some serious magic is involved. Today, watching a 747 rise off the runway is still a magical sight. Physics provides a more accurate explanation though.Air traveling over a wing is affected by Bernoulli's pr... More..
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Common problems with building a fire in a fireplace or a woodstove: 1 of 6
Many years ago, the art of fire building was as common as bicycle riding. Our modern lifestyle continues to move us away from this valuable skill. A nice warm fire is a pleasure that many of us have forgotten, not to mention the cost savings in electricity or heating oil. Being able to skillfully start your fire only adds to ... More..
Travel > Air Travel & Airlines All about rotary wing aircraft: 1 of 5
Achieving heavier than air flight was a triumph in engineering and aerodynamics. But it was only a baby step down the path toward a successful helicopter. Thirty-six years would pass before Igor Sikorski made the first tethered flight in his VS 300. Sikorski had an uncanny ability to solve the problems of the rotary wing airc... More..
Sciences > Physics The difference between a rocket and a jet: 1 of 5
The aircraft piston engine approached its limits of horsepower and mechanical complexity during World War Two. The development of rocket and jet engines enabled enormous advances in aviation and aeronautics. Rocket and jet engines were both developed with military aviation in mind (although original goals were more noble). Ea... More..
Travel > Air Travel & Airlines Why airplanes make so much noise: 1 of 5
Do you remember how quiet the skies were in the days following the 9/11 attacks? The level of noise we endure was impossible to ignore once airplane flights resumed. Few places on the planet are completely free of the noise of airplanes, day or night.Even a jet flying at 30,000 feet will interrupt a peacefully quiet day. How ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Military Aircraft The Chinook helicopter: 1 of 4
Nearly 50 years after it's inception into the US Army, the Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook is still the helicopter of choice for military transport. Faced with the Soviet threat during the Cold War, an all-out fight to the finish war was a real possibility. The US Army needed to add leverage to its smaller military force. Massiv... More..
Travel > Air Travel & Airlines A look at the flight test process: 1 of 4
The first test flights were seat of the pants affairs performed by the best and bravest pilots. Now, many millions of dollars are at stake, possibly even the company's survival. Every detail of the program is well conceived and carried out. But the basic goals of a test flight program remain the same. The flight test process ... More..