On Sat, 29 Dec 2001, John Derstine wrote: > There are not more canards for the same reason we keep QWERTY next to each > other on a computer keyboard. > Typwriter keyboards were designed so that a fast typist could not jamb the > arms when typing quickly. It was discovered early that putting the above > letters in that order would solve that problem.
Actually, the design is to put frequently-used combinations in slightly awkward positions so they don't get hit at the same time. That applies to the entire keyboard, not just the qwerty combo. > Today there is no need to do > that, but we still hang on to the convention of QWERTY, there is no reason > to do so today, it is a habit, a convention mindlessly branded into our > culture. It would probably be easier to teach children to type in > alphabetical order, but we cannot divorce ourself of our mindset. <sigh...> That mistake is made *all the time*. Alphabetical keyboards are, for all intents and purposes, random. As a random layout, they are difficuly to use. The Dvorak keyboard, for instance, supposedly solves the qwerty problem. It makes a bit more theoretical sense than qwerty, but it beats the pants off of any random (including alphabetical) layout. > Maybe it > is too much trouble to retool our minds and preconceptions. Perhaps it would > be too expensive to shift production and impossible to retrain everyone. It's actually not that hard. It's like typing on a European keyboard if you're American. You pick it up pretty easily. > Conventional tailed aircraft are not better, but it is culturally ingrained > as the way to do it. Which is weird since the Wrights used canards. Rutan likes them because they offer maneuverability without sacrificing stability. I like them because they're sexy. -J > John Derstine > > Endless Mountain Models > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.scalesoaring.net/EMM/rand.htm > > -----Original Message----- > From: glidergeek [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 11:55 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [RCSE] Canards-- what a canard!!! > > > . > > So, WHERE ARE ALL THE CANARDS???? Why do all the World Class > sailplanes with a glide ratio of close to 60 to 1 have conventional > tails? Why do all the pylon racers at Reno have a conventional > tail? Why do all the corporate jets and fighter planes and RPVs and > bush planes and flying boats and puddlejumpers and just-about- > everything-else all have conventional tails? > > > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and >"unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
