Posted on 10/16/2021 6:23:41 PM PDT by marshmallow
Igor Sikorsky was an Orthodox Christian. When questioned regarding his roots, he would answer: "My family is of Russian origin. My grandfather and other ancestors from the time of Peter the Great were Russian Orthodox priests."
Born in Kiev, Russia. Helped shape the development of Russian and American aviation. His greatest aeronautical achievements were his multi-motored airplanes, large flying boats and helicopters. Through innovative designs he set numerous aviation world records. He is noted as an unusual person; a genius with great natural ability, spirituality and humanity. Edited by Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
Preface
FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, men have associated the sun and stars directly or figuratively with the idea of Divine Providence. The light and life supporting power of the sun, as well as the quiet and mysterious beauty of the stars, appeared to reflect the ways and the will of God. Mankind, for thousands of years, attempted to read and interpret this heavenly message. A child or a primitive human soul would understand this message in his own way and would be impressed by the calm simplicity beyond which he could feel the solemn, mysterious greatness. A modern person who tried to learn and to think about it would feel the same, but would also realize with awe the immensity, splendor and dynamic power of the material heaven-universe of God.
The ideas outlined above are somewhat similar to the impression created in my consciousness by the Lord's Prayer with reference to the unseen realities of the spiritual universe. The few brief sentences consisting of some sixty-six words are simple and can be understood by a child. But when one starts to think and to analyze them carefully, there gradually comes the realization of the overwhelming immensity of the message. There comes the understanding that the Lord's Prayer not only......
(Excerpt) Read more at russian-faith.com ...
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It is brilliant.
Turn a fan blade horizontal to create vertical thrust.
Stabilize the craft with a vertical fan at the end of a moment arm.
Igor Sikorsky invented helicopter like Henry Ford invented the automobile. Paul Cornu and Etienne Oehmichen both had working models before Sikorsky. But Sikorsky did develop the main rotor/tail rotor layout that became the most successful and is still the most widely used.
I have his book on the Lord’s Prayer. It is very good.
Good stuff
Presumably we’ll never know if he ever saw the Michaelangelo 15th century model of a helicopter. It’s a part of his traveling exhibit. Also a model of a submarine.
He does not suggest a prayer for courage and power to resist temptation. Man is instructed to pray that the dangerous conditions be avoided.
In other words, strange as it sounds to many modern people, the Prayer instructs us to ask not for courage and determination to win a battle, but for the help of God to avoid that battle. Of the three propositions of the second prayer, this one contains the deepest mystery and, to my belief, touches the most important as well as the most dramatic factors of earthly existence. The origin and source of the greatest tragedies in the life of individuals as well as of nations can be traced to the mysterious factors discussed in this eleven word sentence more than to any other cause. This statement is in contradiction with the now widely-accepted materialistic interpretation of life and history, but I believe it to be much closer to the truth.
The extreme difficulty of complete understanding of this part of the prayer will in no way limit the value of our using it as long as we have confidence in its Author. The situation may be stated simply as follows: we are warned of a danger, we are informed that our personal forces are inadequate to resist the ultimate Enemy, Satan, and we are instructed to call for the help of God. It is obvious that man must nevertheless do all he can to resist any evil temptations, but he must not expect to be successful in really important cases unless he receives divine assistance.
Tagged to read when I’m not about to fall 😴 asleep.
Interesting post. Pinging for Sunday morning further read.
Let’s say that he was first who made the thing practical.
The things Sikorsky invented are the airliner and a four-engined heavy bomber, also introduced the tail-gunner. The two former things revolutionized aerial warfare.
Let’s say that he was first who made the thing practical.
Let's don't.
Maitland Bleecker designed, built and flew a helicopter that would do everything Sikorsky's VS-300 could, it had collective and cyclic pitch controls and anti-torque foot controls and could autorotate, only he flew it nine years before the VS-300 first left the ground.
But nine years before the VS-300 was the start of the Great Depression. Bleecker was working for Curtis aircraft, which was killed off by the stock market crash and Bleecker lacked the personal resources to continue the project. Curtis closed its doors and he never saw his helicopter again.
Sikorsky's helicopter was the first to be a commercial success and to bear fruit (spawn successors and/or imitators), but it wasn't the first, nor the first to be practical.
Time has proved that Sikorsky's was a better design but I'd say it would be difficult to impossible to prove didn't know anything about Bleecker's design. And his biggest advantage was that he had the full financial backing of a successful aircraft company because he owned it.
Sikorsky was just the right man at the right place at the right time with the right capital and with 30 years of other men's R&D at his disposal.
📌😇✅
The general overview of this essay is much in line with C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy.
One of the more profound analysis I have read. A must read.
I am profoundly greatful for your posting this very useful article. Thank you so much and God Bless you.
THIS SENTENCE has first of all a direct meaning. It may be understood also as taking into consideration all other reasonable necessities such as a home, clothing, medical assistance, and so forth, that are just as necessary for our earthly existence as food. There is hardly any doubt that this sentence approves and even instructs man to work for the material necessities of himself and his family. A man can pray for assistance in any reasonable need of his life, but the prayer has no chance of being effective if the man himself does not contribute first all he can in work and effort to complete the part that he can do himself. A man who prepared his field and planted it can well pray for results and no one can prove that these prayers have no influence. But a prayer of an idle person that his field miraculously be planted for him would be quite hopeless. If, however, the person is ill or for any reason actually unable to do it himself, such prayer may well bring results in some indirect way.
Incredibly well said. AKA - the Lord helps those who help themselves. This sure goes against the modern concept of welfare & such other means of supporting people without asking anything of them and whereby they have no skin in the game.
This is such a long read, but every word is worth it. I grieve for many Millenials and others of similar age/education/background who never developed the attention span to read anything longer than a text. Through no fault of their own. They are just products of their time and bad circumstances. I don't judge them, I grieve for them.
bump
The Pope should read this.
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