“My real-world experiences as a pilot and aerospace engineer
give me a specifically unique perspective when designing unmanned air
vehicles and systems for airplanes. The really great part is being able
to truly appreciate airplanes and aircraft engine designs not only for
their historic and aesthetic value, but also as a clear manifestation of
functional art.”
— Joseph Bok, B.S. AE ’85, M.S. '99; CEO, Aero Telemetry, Inc.
Initially commissioned for a History Channel Television Show
commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the start of World War I, the
full-size replica of the Kettering Bug will now be the subject of an intense
one-hour TV documentary that will feature the various aspects of the airplanes
design, it’s secretive military history, the famous people behind the
development, and the airplane’s contribution to the advancement of early
aviation technology.
The background and technical details of the Kettering Bug
have been meticulously researched for historical accuracy and re-designed with
many of the same materials and techniques that were used to build the original.
In commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of WWI, this amazing full-size
replica is being prepared for its first flight by Joe Bok and his Aero
Telemetry Team.
Aero Telemetry was honored to have their Hughes H-1 Racer on display in the front lobby of The Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood two weeks ago. The 4 night event was a celebration of Aviation and Cinema. The first night was a presentation given by Oscar winners Craig Barron and Ben Burtt called The Illusions of Flight: Behind the Scenes of Hollywood's Aviation Classics. For those in attendence it was a packed house and an amazing presentation!
Spend an evening in Hollywood at the Academy of Motion Pictures Linwood Theater with Oscar Winners Craig Barron and Ben Burtt as they present “The Illusions of Flight: Behind the Scenes of Hollywood’s Aviation Classics” on August 14th at 7:00pm.
The presentation will feature never before seen footage of the Aero Telemetry flyable models
constructed for Academy Award winning movie The Aviator.
In addition, the event will feature Aero Telemetry's Hughes H-1 Racer Airplane as well as several other models from classic films such as the Right Stuff and Raiders of the Lost Ark which will be on display in the main lobby of the theater.
This B-29 flown by old MacCrash Hodges, weighs more than 200lbs when it is fully
loaded with fuel, smoke oil, and X1 parasite. It has been allowed to fly for many years even though it weighs more than the AMA LMA limit
of 125lbs. Hot day, high humidity, high
density altitude, number 1 engine running bad, and appears to have limited rudder control. This
is the 5th or 6th time he crashed one of these, and this
time almost takes 10 peoples heads off. It was and Always has been way over the AMA weight limit. Anyone stating this plane weighed less than 125lbs is welcome to put up $10K and lets weigh it at the AMA Headquarters and live stream it. Oh never mind, it crashed again...but you can bring all the pieces and we can weigh those.
YouTube Video B29 Crash Warbirds Over Delaware 2014
The
Spruce Goose flew several times over two days in the Long Beach Harbor.
The first test flight took place on the afternoon of Sunday November
23, 2003.
Joe Bok's rendition of the Hughes Flying Boat
made its' Hollywood Film debut on November 24, 2003. The airplane was
loaded onto a barge and moved into a location near the Queen Mary.
Several vintage Navy boats were moved into a position that would align
them with the camera and the model's anticipated flight path. The Aero
Telemetry Spruce Goose made several breath-taking flights that day.
Part of the crew launched and recovered the huge model from a floating
barge, while the flight crew were positioned on a vintage World War II
US Navy Patrol boat. Academy Award winning visual effects director, Rob
Legato, filmed the amazing footage of the Spruce Goose as it passed by
the stern of the PT boat to recreate the famous flight of the Spruce
Goose.
To read more about this incredible build and flight check out the website http://www.h4hercules.com/ for all things Spruce Goose!
An extraordinary crew works at Aero Telemetry Corporation. Founded
by Joe Bok, the Aero Telemetry Corporation (ATC) has been providing airborne electronics and custom built unmanned
air vehicle (UAV) systems to the military since the early 1990s. Many of our
readers also know that this remarkable company specializes in scale aircraft for
movies and in UAV’s. Remember the movie, The
Aviator? Joe's team provided 11 different models for the production. Notably, the giant
scale Hughes XF-11 (30-foot wingspan), H-4 Hercules (Spruce Goose), and Hughes
H-1 Racer were all flown safely and successfully.As noted at the company's website, these models
“are still considered to be some of the largest flyable scale airplanes ever built for
use in a movie. Long hours of hard work, perseverance, and technical know-how
by the Aero Telemetry team made these extraordinary airplanes possible.”
But
many may not know the diverse additional areas of expertise Aero Telemetry has
expanded into over the last decade, building on robust project successes in
military based UAV programs. One of the coolest projects in aerospace today is
the Boeing X-48 Blended Wing Body aircraft or BWB. Aero Telemetry was contracted by The
Boeing Company to build the front landing gear for the X-48 blended wing body
unmanned air vehicle. “The design and fabrication of the landing gear required
the Aero Telemetry team to perform dynamic load testing with data acquisition
sensors to match deceleration rates to acceptable airframe load limits.”
Aero
Telemetry also specializes in vintage engine restorations. Joe Bok and his team took great pride in restoring an
Allison V-1710-27 engine. That engine was once a starboard engine mount on a
Lockheed P-39 Lightning during WWII. It was shipped back to the United States
for overhaul in late 1943. It is an incredible piece of American history that
has survived the years to be brought back to life once again by the ATC
team—see the projects pages at www.aerotelemetry.comfor more on this and the other diverse
programs at ATC. Their technology is also used at academic institutions and in
one project, ATC designed a package to detect the impact energy of football helmets, while in use, on the playing field.
H1 RACER
As the AMA planned
its 75th anniversary celebration, which will be held in Muncie this July, it
inquired with Joe whether ATC might do something special for the gala event.
Joe’s team came up with a 50 percent scale H-1 Racer. The H-1 in The Aviator, designed based on countless
photos of the original at the Smithsonian, weighed 450 pounds. The new model
looked to weigh in at 225 pounds ready to fly. “Too heavy,” said the AMA. It
would have to top out at 125 pounds to be legal at the event. Joe’s
indefatigable team went back to the drawing board—a 3rd plane had to
be designed and built!
And true to form, ATC
developed new technology. Precisely engineered resin-infused carbon fiber cloth
would comprise the new H-1’s skin. This will be the largest and perhaps the most
sophisticated 50 percent scale model in the world, with custom engineered
retracts and sophisticated electronic control systems. The 5-cylinder, 4-stroke
radial initially envisioned for the project may have to be replaced with a
lighter mill. But Joe, an aerospace engineer with a can-do attitude, is not
fazed. He says this has been a useful challenge that has expanded ATC’s
markets.
We applaud this magnificent
project, and also the contributions of the ATC team in other arenas. Joe and
his people are making a difference by providing electronic systems to the
military, and for this reason this aerospace group also wears a badge of honor.
