Three years have passed already? I suspect the next twenty – if I live that long – will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Of course it did. There were evolutionary predecessors to the Wright brothers as well as successors.

Well, you could not build a large suspension bridge from natural fibers. Balsa is a remarkable material. It is (I believe) the strongest wood when weight is considered. It is renewable and amazingly fast growing.”

The natives in South America in Peru or Bolivia I believe have been using suspension bridges constructed from braided vines for hundreds of years. They are capable of holding a pack animal. Normally they construct two side by side in case one breaks their not stranded. They have to be rebuild it every year. There is a National Geographic article on it out there somewhere. And by the way the Japanese’s Zero fighter was made of plywood also.

Very interesting. One of the best articles here. Well anyways, I didn’t know wooden airplanes where used for war. And about radars having to have to have right angles, don’t stealth fighters have no right angles. So how are they detected? And exactly how do radars work.

Welcome aboard Bewildered – not that I post all that often myself, and hence hardly think I’m in any sort of position to welcome you aboard – welcome nonetheless.

As for first post – it is one of those things that has [dare I say it] evolved to become rather ironically amusing – in much the same vien as Shandooga has become ironically amusing.

These things aside it is still the most intelligent and amusing comments section of any website I frequent – and for all this I say thanks to everyone – group hug…c’mon Shandooga we all love you too. (thanks for taking it offline, I’m guessing you don’t use that email address for much? Golden rule: never post your email address anywhere on the web)

Keep it up one and all…