Feb. 1934 Popular Mechanics article

[skypuppy 1]

Does anyone have access to a copy of the Feb. 1934 issue of Popular Mechanics? It contains an article by Floyd Smith on the state of the art skills of freefall control used by early jumper Spud Manning... This predates the time when Leo Valentin 'rediscovered' the secrets of stable freefall in the 1950's...

Skypuppy

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[skr 1]

I've never seen one but it would be great to make
a copy and put it up on a web site somewhere like
maybe right here.

I got the idea somewhere that Spud Manning knew
how to fall in a gentle delta / swan dive sort of position,
but world war two came and people forgot about it.

Jack Pryor, the guy who taught me, started in 1953
and told me that he learned of the idea of stable fall
when he ran into someone somewhere in 1957.

Skr

[skypuppy 1]

According to Peter Hearn's book 'The Sky People', Manning was adept at basic stability, controlled turns, backloops, head down dives and a delta or tracking glide...

"While coming out of a head-first dive the high velocity causes a considerable horizontal movement, the body acting as a gliding plane against the air. Manning often thus executed a spiral glide coming out of his high-speed head-first position." wrote Floyd Smith...

Like other parachuting 'performers' Manning didn't want to make his techniques public. He was killed in a plane crash into Lake Michigan (he was also an airshow pilot) before the article came out in 1933.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[dterrick 0]

Maybe. I DO have a 1937 popular science about the first "high altitude" jumps but I left it at my parents place. The cover is a dude jumping from what looks similar to an Apollo capsule (bomb bay style doors on the bottom). I didn't read the article but I will retrieve it tomorrow and scan it. I may even be able to find the pop sci article in question.

Where can I post "big" files (1200 dpi colour scan)?
FTP skydivingmovies?

Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[poppenhager 1]

Spud Mannings son Dennie Manning was in the first PCA (USPA) Instructor/Examiner course in Phoenix,Ar.2/1962.
D-47

[howardwhite 6]

For those who did not notice or recognize the name, this post is from the legendary Paul Poppenhager, who ran the legendary DZ at Indiantown, FL for years.

HW

[SkydiverRick 0]

Quote

For those who did not notice or recognize the name, this post is from the legendary Paul Poppenhager, who ran the legendary DZ at Indiantown, FL for years.

HW

The best dz I ever jumped at.

never pull low......unless you are

[billbooth 10]

Hi Pop!

[narcimund 0]

Quote

Does anyone have access to a copy of the Feb. 1934 issue of Popular Mechanics?

I just bought a copy on Ebay. If you still need it, I can copy it for you when it arrives.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[skypuppy 1]

It would be excellent if you could get me a copy... Thanks.

Rob Price
BASE 92

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[narcimund 0]

Damnit! I was only a couple of hours from auction close when I posted this. I shouldn't have jumped the gun, but I had to leave for a 9 hour drive to Twin Falls. I was outbid about 120 miles from my computer.

But I'm still looking.

First Class Citizen Twice Over