November 20th--This Day in Engineering History via YouTube

Happy Birthday to the International Space Station!



The First Solar-Powered Flight - 1980



1923 - Garrett Morgan (1877-1963) patented an automatic traffic signal.

Hillside Motor Structural Failure--Nov. 16, 1973

The Frederick Post, Frederick, Maryland, Friday, November 16, 1973.

No Injuries Reported

Building Collapses At Evergreen Point

No one was injured Thursday afternoon when the walls of the Hillside Motor Corp. on Evergreen Point suddenly cracked and the open bay doors shattered.

"At the first sounds of the building settling, everybody ran outside. Thank God no one was injured," said Roy C. Romsburg, owner of the used car lot and state inspection center located along the east side of Rt. 85.

State police Trooper Paul Fagan estimated damage to the large two story cinder block structure in excess of $50,000. Police believe the cause was improper removal of dirt around the foundation walls on two sides of the building. Police said the excavation was being supervised by Ray Romsburg.

Romsburg said he had intended to add another building alongside the present structure and place a parking lot in front. The excavation along two sides of the building apparently undermined the foundation causing severe cracks along the north wall and forcing the west wall to separate from the rest of the building, police said.

Romsburg said he hopes to tear down the damaged part of the building saving the smaller portion which was mainly used as an office. The shop and the upstairs living quarters will be completely torn down. Workmen from the C. Edw. Winpigler Construction Company were using a large crane and sand bucket to peel back the roof and knock down the cracked walls.

"This may slow us down but its not going to stop us," Romsburg stated. "Just this morning I said how lucky we had been--no accidents; no trouble. We were doing real good. I don't believe the insurance will cover this." But Romsburg said he plans on staying open and remaining in business.

Romsburg, his wife and daughter and brother Ray C. Romsburg were at the scene late Thursday afternoon watching as a large crane lifted chunks of the building and carefully exposed the inner wall supporting the smaller building. The job was expected to be completed by late Thursday.

The United and Junior ambulance and rescue equipment and the Independent fire engine were called to the scene at 1:40 p.m. Once the danger of fire or explosion was lessened, only one ambulance remained on the scene as the front wall was demolished.

Potomac Edison cut electric power to the building shortly after 2 p.m. Just minutes after the power lines were dropped, a large section of the wall fell right where the lines had been hanging.

State Police ordered that blasting at the M.J. Grove Lime Company be halted while workmen were removing portions of the building. Workers first used the front crane roller to push in the damaged front wall which had slid off its footing. The brick veneer wall had separated from the other walls by about two feet at the bottom.

At least one car was parked inside the building when the walls cracked. A complete listing of damages was not available from police last night.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft

"The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, the first of the US Air Force multi-role fighter aircraft, is the world's most prolific fighter with more than 2,000 in service with the USAF and 2,000 operational with 25 other countries.

The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world's first aircraft able to withstand higher g-forces than the pilots. The Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979. The last of 2,231 F-16 fighters for the US Air Force was delivered in March 2005. The first two-seat F-16D version was accepted by the US Government in January 2009." (airforce-technology.com)

General Characteristics (from the official web site of the U.S. Air Force)

• Primary Function: Multirole fighter
• Contractor: Lockheed Martin Corp.
• Power Plant: F-16C/D: one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or General Electric F110-GE-100/129
• Thrust: F-16C/D, 27,000 pounds
• Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters)
• Length: 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters)
• Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
• Weight: 19,700 pounds without fuel (8,936 kilograms)
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 37,500 pounds (16,875 kilograms)
• Fuel Capacity: 7,000 pounds internal (3,175 kilograms); typical capacity, 12,000 pounds with two external tanks (5443 kilograms)
• Payload: Two 2,000-pound bombs, two AIM-9 and 1,040-gallon external tanks
• Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude)
• Range: More than 2,002 miles ferry range (1,740 nautical miles)
• Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
• Armament: One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with 500 rounds; external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods
• Crew: F-16C, one; F-16D, one or two
• Unit cost: F-16A/B , $14.6 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars); F-16C/D,$18.8 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
• Initial operating capability: F-16A, January 1979; F-16C/D Block 25-32, 1981; F-16C/D Block 40-42, 1989; and F-16C/D Block 50-52, 1994
• Inventory: Total force, F-16C/D, 1,280

15 Science Cartoons for Nov. 15th

A Monolithic High School

In 1986, I worked for my father, David B. South, driving a crane during the construction of Emmett High School in Emmett, Idaho. I have found that the "hands-on" construction experience is absolutely necessary to fully understand the engineering.

Along with learning the construction details about domes, I became convinced that Monolithic Domes are the best solution for schools today. Not only are Monolithic Dome Schools beautiful--they are economical, safe, long-lasting and green.

The following video is from The Monolithic Dome Institute's YouTube channel:

This is an introduction to Monolithic Dome Schools. What does a community need and want in a school structure? We think the number one answer to that question is Safety. A Monolithic Dome makes a school that cant be beat for safety. It not only meets but exceeds FEMAs requirements for a structure that provides near-absolute protection.

Newspaper Articles




Emmett High School Photos

Sesame Street Number Songs by Pixar's Bud Luckey

5 More Calvin and Hobbes Math Class Cartoons for Nov. 5th