| POPULAR §APBILLION ORDERS A DAY Jn a large motem telephone office 3,000/000 switch contacts await the ‘orders of your dial to clear a path for your voice. They open and close a billion times a day. At first, contacts were of platinum — highly resistant to heat znd corrosion Dat costly. Years ago, Bell Labora- tories scientists began looking else- ‘where, explored the contact properties of other precious metals — gold, silver, palladium ond thei alloys — and with the Western Electric Company, manu facturing unit of the Bell System, restndied shape, size and method of attachment. Outcome of this long research is a barshaped contact welded to the ‘witch and positioned at right angles to its mate, For most epplications, fn inexpensive base is capped with precious metal Savings from these contacts help keep Gown the cost of telephone service, ‘This is but one example of how Bell Laboratories serve the public through your Bell Telephone Company. Veda TINUED IMPROVEMENTS AND EGONOMIES IN TELEPHONE SERVICE POPULAR MECHANICS Popular Mechanics Magazine HH, WINDSOR, Founder ESKIMO TOGS wore donned for visit in Florida by” Aub Conk fay our Aviation tor. Aster eugaling ‘out of bis. parka ho Hopped into a climate hovter than fe ople Ts ay sound cn fusing, but at Eglin Foes be found climates made to cxder. Men of fhe Army Air Forces press a few buttons and vary the temperature cf a big hangar trom 70" degrees below fo 165 above. Ys a project 4 text aviation equipment for any lmate, Aub's aetotnt, “Florida's Gold Spat’ ie on pase NEXT MONTH “Flight Plen for London” will reveal all the jigsaw details that are fitted into a plan for a transocean hop. Another feature gives. the low-down on hhow to patent an invention, Also, there'll be a story about « home. movie expert who makes a chorus ff flowers perform a bellet to mu fle in front of 2 movie eamers, SPORTSMEN will discover, heavy bill of fare in next month's Graltsean section. There's gn ar fiele for hunters on building a suck boat, and a feature that tells how to convert the afield rifle Into a sporting arm. Another ar- ticle gives tos on preparing your cil burner for the fist cold snap. OWNERS of spring-wound record players and small radios can. get Toudsspeakeer volume with a bat. tory-operated amplifier described in noxt month's Radio section, H, H, WINDSOR, Jr, Editor and Publisher foster tor Wodee Bivens 2a Cheer Donold 8 trols Char . Emeron WC Lame In This Issue So You Want a Helicopter? Railroad Fans on the Loose -_- = Greased Lightning Strikes the Fla Florida’s Cold Spot - - - - - “Bad Man” of the Elements --_- Photographer of the Insect World - Teaching Old Rivers New Tricks - Mothering the Zoo Babies - Muscle Men of Amerjca- + - - They Dredge for Your Dinner - - Blowing Up Hollywood - - ~~ For the Craftsman Row Gently - - - - - - - Oven for Heat-Forming Plastics Mailboxes Can Be Made Attractive Make Your Darkroom Workable - Solder ItRight- - - - - - + Brakes for Bending Sheet Metal _- Radio and Electronics - +--+ + 98 106 14 121 132 137 142 154 170 180 186 192 201 207 213 Table of Contents Continued on Page 8Popurar MicHanies SO LOU WANT A HELICOPTER ? By Stanley Hiller, Jr "When will Tbe © for iny personel use be At the age of 19 the outhor amazed the ‘eviation world when he designed, bat and flew the first proctca coaxial hlicop- ler. Today, of 23, Hiller is president ond ‘general manager of United Helicopters, ‘Ine, Palo Ato, Calif, engaged i reseerch nd manafacturing rolery-eing aircraft means Prince Albert ‘A man with a pipeful of Prince Albert ‘tobacco kets real smoking joy and com fort. P.A. is specially ereted to insure against tongue bite. I's mild and easy fon the tongue. Try crimp cut P.A—and you'l see why more pipes smoke Prince ‘Albere than any other tobacco! n POPULAR MECHANICS