Matt Whiting wrote:
Orval Fairbairn wrote:

In article 14h3f.1550$vE5.742@lakeread03,
"Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired" wrote:


Matt Whiting wrote:

wrote:


I read a story about bush flying in a Cub, where the pilot would lower
a bucket out the window on a rope. He would then go into a constant
tight banked turn, with one wing of the Cub pointed at the bucket. He
could spiral down, and place the bucket stationary on the ground, so a
person on the ground could drop off or retrieve small objects.



I've heard some pretty wild urban legends, but this has to be one of
the best.

Matt



It's not an urban legend. It's been done for decades. The bucket
never reaches the ground, but a man can drop someing in or take
something out when it gets to shoulder height. There's a picture of
it being done in a mid 1960s National Geographic. There was a
discussion about it in rec.aviation.military a year or two ago.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired



It is also the principle of gunships, which do the same thing, only
with guns pointed out the side of the plane. The early gunships used a
crude sight taped or painted on the side window.


Not, not the same at all. The bullets aren't going straight down, they
are going at some angle to the ground and landing well away from the
airplane. How do you get the bucket and rope to stay at an angle to the
airplane and follow the same path the bullets would follow. I'm still
not getting the physics of how this would work.

Matt

Take a rope or chain with a small weight on the end. Let it hang
straight down from your hand, now move your hand rapidly on a small
circle. Once you obtain a spin in the rope make the circle bigger and
slower. With a little practice you can get the weighted end to remain
stationary in space spinning at the same rate as your circle. Same
principal.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired