Conference noted::sf

    There's a review of this in the MOVIE conference.
    
    Amazing that when TV 38 advertises it's showing they use the one
    clip in which the wires could be clearly seen holding up the ships.
                         
    							Don

The movie was made in 1953, not the late '50s, so the effects are even 
more striking than might be imagined.
The then-new H-bomb probably exposed the practicalities of the EMP as well.
But to take away from the stealth bomber issue, there were plans for 
and prototypes of "flying wing" aircraft during the early '50s.
Very unstable and not practical with the then-current flight control
technologies, but today's fly-by-wire computer controlled systems
fill in that shortcoming.

As to the wires showing, I find that movie special effects come off
badly on television.  There are a lot of artifacts that you don't see
in the movie theatre that become apparent in video.  Mattes, in particular,
don't fade in well.

- tom]

    Re .2 (Tom):
    
    >But to take away from the stealth bomber issue, there were plans for 
    >and prototypes of "flying wing" aircraft during the early '50s.
    >Very unstable and not practical with the then-current flight control
    >technologies, but today's fly-by-wire computer controlled systems
    >fill in that shortcoming.
     
    Well, this isn't FLYING.NOT, but a few points:
    
    1) The Flying Wing experiments began back in the late 1930s.  The
    first, the N1M, was slightly gull-shaped.  It was followed by the
    N9M (the B version of which was a scaled-down XB-35).
    
    2) Flying Wings were _not_ unstable.  In fact, during one of the
    flight tests of an N9M, the pilot flipped one over, and was able
    to pull himself out of it and sit on its (inverted) leading edge
    while he adjusted his parachute before abandoning it.  Needless
    to say, it wasn't a model with an autopilot.  Pitch control was
    achieved through "elevons" (combination elevator-ailerons); yaw
    by differential air braking.
    
    The advantage of a Flying Wing was (and is) that with effectively
    the entire body having lift, there are few, if any, moments produced
    by high-g maneuvers.  It's a nicer structure.
    
    According to probably the world's greatest aerodynamicist, the late
    Theodor von Karaman, the reason for the discontinuation of the Flying Wing
    (which he rather admired) was that the research had all been for
    a subsonic Wing, at a time when the Air Force was looking for
    supersonic craft.  Thus, funding dried up.
    
    Flying Wings are potentially the most efficient way to fly.
    
    Now, back to Science Fiction.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr. 
    
    The problem with the YB-49

    At least one rumor I've heard for the demise of the Flying Wing
    was that Congress (or perhaps the D of D) wanted the contract
    to go to Boeing, and Northrup wouldn't subcontract the design
    out. The implications were that there was something shady going
    on between Boeing and the Feds at the time.
    
    --- jerry

    War of the Worlds is right up there with the Wizard of Oz.  When
    ever they're on I never miss them.
    
    WotW is my favority SciFi.  I love the effects and the sounds. 
    I still get goose bumps when the machines come out of the meteor
    and when the scientist and the girl are in the old farm house.
    
    Star Wars was great but it wasn't scary.  I love scary SciFi movies.
    
    Kathy

This is available on videotape.  It has one of those lovely conventions so pre-
valent in early pulp SF and '50s movies.  The scientist takes one look at a
process (e.g., the so-called "skeleton beams" of the film) and comes up with a
detailed explanation of how the thing operates -- in a few cases (mostly in
the pulps) with a counter to the menace.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Subj:	Trivia for your astronomy club

Let's see if anyone else has made the connection.

What current celestial event played a significant role in a major science
fiction story?  Bonus: name story and event.



Hint: Think "Mars"



Give up?



If you look East right after Sunset you will see a bright red star.  This
is the Planet Mars.  Right now Mars is as close as it gets to Earth. 
According to H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds" it was at this point that
the Martians launched their invasion of Earth.

fred();

    Insignificant.  Mars gets into opposition, "closest approach to
    earth" every few years.  It's going to be a lot closer to
    earth in 2003 than it is now.  Besides, we already had the "visitor"
    from Mars story last year...
    
    PeterT