So how many of you watched tonight? The million dollar question was… Who was the first american pilot to break the sound barrier in an airplane? Was I the only one screaming the answer at the t.v.?
Chris
I live on the west cost, so it hasnt aired yet. It was Chuck Yeager right? I believe it happened just before my birthday, Oct, 1949?
Most people would not have a clue to answer a question like that. It just shows how unique our group of modelers and history types are. Cool.
RG
I don’t know… My personal favorite was a family feud episode back when Richard “the kissing bandit” Dawson was hosting it. The question was " Name a famous Rudolph…"
Guest’s answer " Rudolph Hitler!"
Dawson: " That must have been his cousin from dusseldorf!"
I remember laughing for an eternity…
My Bride and I were watching Jeopardy some years ago when Final Jeopardy subject was announced just before the commercial break. The Subject, “Aviation History”. I looked at my Bride and said, “the answer is Chuck Yeager”.
She said “You don’t even know the clue is yet, how can you say that?”
“Trust Me” I said.
The Clue, “He broke the Sound Barrier 50 years ago today”, See, I already knew it was the 50th anniversary.
She still thinks I’m a genius.
[:-^]
I forgot to ask, did they get it right?
Good thing they didn’t ask for the name of the ship that did it - or its make/model. Few know Chuck Yeager, let alone those minor details! [:D]
-Ro
I was at a Boy Scout meeting last summer with about 50 boys ages from 11 to 18. Someone asked the question, “Where is Pearl Harbor and what is it’s significance in history?” Not one single youth could answer either part of the question. I don’t know if my emotions of being astounded or ashamed took precedence. What the (*&^% do they teach kids in history classes these days?
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
Amazing [:(] ART
There was a question, among only 20 in the schools in my county, about who fought World War II. The single most popular answer, about 20%, was Germany fought Japan.
The young lady (though very intelligent) didn’t get the right answer. She answered Howard Hughes. Her father who was in the audience knew the answer was Chuck Yeager.[banghead]
Hey Ro,
Now to answer your question, it was the Bell X-1 s/n 46-062… Basically built right in my backyard…!!
Flaps up,
Mike
Rangers Lead The Way
Gee, I thought it was george Welch in the xp-86… I’d have had to argued that one!!!
Good Hunting, G.W.
Me, smarter than a fifth grader? A box of rocks is smarter than me. [sigh]
There’s always been a wee bit of controversy over who was first to break the sound barrier.
Some folks say it was George Welch (of Pearl Harbor fame) in an F-86 a couple of days
before Chuck Yeager “officially” broke the barrier.
Ray
While Welch and a few others may know that he broke it first, it’s officially and historically known that it was Yeager who did it first, so I’m almost sure that that’s what the show was going after.
I mean they’re going over things that a fifth grader would be taught. Very few public sbcool teachers get bored enough to teach esoteric aviation history. It’s why everyone knows the first guy to step foot on the moon, but not the others.
-Fred
That would be a tough one to answer since they tape shows a couple of weeks in advance and when they said “50 years ago today” that would not be correct.
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
So far, 8 out often times, yes. The Chuck Yeager question was dead easy.
Who desinged the A-4 Skyhawk and what was it nicknamed at the time? There’s some harder stuff…
HINT: it wasnt called ‘Scooter’, ‘Tink’ or ‘Hot Rod’… not then. Those names came later.
Mr Heinemann…!!! Later they were known as Heinemann’s Hot Rods…[:P]
Flpas up,
Mike
Rangers Lead The Way
I was listening to the radio going to work about two days ago and they were commenting on a news report from the UK. A survey asked if certain figures were were actual or fictional. The results were:
The majority thought Winston Churchill and the Duke of Wellington were fictional characters and that Sherlock Holmes was real!
This problem about basic history seems to be world wide, not just in the US.
Mike T.