Q: In the 1940s, I worked as a draftsman for Douglas Aircraft Co. in Santa Monica, Calif. During my period of employment, the design and construction of an experimental plane called the Mixmaster was completed. The unique design placed the motor and transmission in the tail of the aircraft. Although I saw the plane taxi a short distance, I never saw it fly. Do you know of the Mixmaster? Did it ever go into production and fly? ‘ J.W.M., Greenville, Pa. A: The Douglas XB-42, more popularly known as the Mixmaster, was an experimental bomber aircraft designed for high speed. As you mentioned, the design of the plane was unconventional, with two engines mounted on the rear of the fuselage. Two prototypes were built, and the first test flight occurred May 6, 1944. The plane responded well, though some modifications needed to be made. The XB-42 set a speed record of more than 433 miles per hour from Long Beach, Calif., to Washington, D.C., later in the year, but improvements increased the speed of the aircraft to 488 miles per hour. With the end of the war in sight and jet aircraft on the horizon, the Air Force decided not to invest in the plane. One prototype crashed, while the other suffered damage in a hard landing in 1947. Though repaired, it never flew after that. The repaired XB-42 was given to the National Air and Space Museum; however, it has never been placed on display. Q: When and where was NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. born? What is the name of his mother? Did Dale’s mother and father get divorced? ‘ L.M., Frankfort, Ill. A: Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered the world on Oct. 10, 1974, in Kannapolis, N.C. His father, Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr., married his second wife, Brenda Gee, in 1971. She gave birth to a daughter, Kelley, in 1972 and Dale Jr. two years later. Shortly after Dale’s birth, his mother and father divorced. Dale Sr. then married Dale Jr.’s stepmother, Teresa. Did you know … the real name of frontiersman Wild Bill Hickok is James Butler Hickok? Q: Several years ago, I attended a fancy party. Throughout the hall were platters made up of different cold meats and all types of vegetables. I would call it a party tray, but I was told it had some super-fancy name. I have long forgotten my date for this event as well as the name of the party tray. Can you help me out? ‘ W.B.D., Elmira, N.Y. A: Look up with word ‘salmagundi’; it fits the description. Q: In our company’s internal newsletter, a new employee listed his hobby as ‘bouldering.’ I never get into his department to ask what it means, and no one in my department has ever heard of the term. Do you know what it means? ‘ F.E., Trenton, N.J. A: ‘Bouldering’ is a style of rock climbing in which no rope is used; the climbs are normally short so that if a fall does occur, it will not result in serious injury. A similar term is ‘buildering,’ in which the climber scales the outside of tall buildings and other artificial structures. Serious injury is more likely to occur here. Q: How did cosmetic surgery get to be called ‘plastic surgery’? ‘ T.P., San Francisco, Calif. A: The term comes from the Greek ‘plastikos,’ meaning ‘to mold’ or ‘to shape.’ Q: I have yet another question about the TV sitcom ‘Alice.’ What was the location of Mel’s Diner? ‘ V.L.T., Pueblo, Colo. A: Phoenix, Ariz., played home to the greasy spoon. The series aired from 1976 to 1985. (Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at [email protected] or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.)
