Answers to Trivia 1/2004

1) Nostromo

2) It comes from the French word m'aidez,  meaning "help me" and is pronounced "mayday."

3) Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain,
with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine,
that person is floating well above worldly cares.

4) Rush Limbaugh’s dad flewP-51s.

 5) Ed MacMahon flew F-4u Corsairs.

6) A special hybrid grain critical to an alien civilzation in the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

7)

8)  Incredibly, the USAF still operates one squadron out of Holloman AFB, in New Mexico. They train their German counterparts, who continue to operate the Phantom in numbers.

9) Yes! It was proven possible when an Israeli example lost a wing during training and managed to land safely. See related story.

10) Incredibly, the answer is yes, almost. On June 22, 2004, German aircraft company Flug Werk GmbH successfully flew its Fw-190 after eight years’ development. Test pilot Horst Philipp took the “Butcher Bird” up for a short hop and reported that the plane handled as expected. The company plans to sell a limited number of aircraft as kits. It is also beginning the manufacture of key P-51 Mustang components. See video of first flight.