Contact Comics #12

A sweeping chronicle of humanity's centuries-long dream of reaching the moon, from Cyrano De Bergerac's fanciful schemes through Jules Verne's predictions to Dr. Goddard's decades of desert experimentation and the rocket pioneers of 1930s Berlin—all leading to the breakthrough that atomic power might finally make lunar travel possible. Rocket expert Willy Ley walks readers through the technical challenges, failed approaches, and the ingenious design that could send an unmanned vessel on a voyage around the moon and back within the next few years. It's a stirring blend of scientific history and visionary speculation that shows how humanity's oldest fantasies might soon become reality.

When sabotage strikes the Svenlo Oil Wells in the Middle East, flying detective Ace Diamond races to investigate—only to find himself shot down by hostile aircraft before he even lands. At the refinery, Diamond discovers a deadly conspiracy: members of the management team are being systematically eliminated, and the wells themselves are set ablaze in what appears to be a final, desperate strike by unseen enemies determined to reclaim control of the oil operation.

This 1946 non-fiction account follows American airmen as they prepare to operate aircraft in conditions that would ground most flights—using newly installed instrument approach equipment at key airports across the nation. When a severe snowstorm blankets New York, an F.B.I. team arrives at the airport with an urgent, mysterious mission, and a pilot faces a perilous flight despite zero visibility. The story demonstrates how ultra-high frequency radio signals and marker beacons guide planes safely down to the runway when pilots can't see the ground.

This instructional feature walks you through the fundamentals of aircraft take-off, climb, turning, and gliding techniques as part of Contact's ongoing flight education series. The lesson breaks down each maneuver step-by-step—from throttle control and rudder work through the initial lift-off, coordinated turns, and proper glide techniques—and even includes practical guidance for building a home practice control set to rehearse the movements safely on the ground.

This 1946 educational feature breaks down the fundamental principles of flight in clear, accessible terms—exploring how air pressure, Newton's laws, and Bernoulli's theorem work together to keep an aircraft aloft. From lift and drag to thrust and weight, the story methodically explains the five forces a pilot must balance, illustrating each concept with practical examples like a swimmer's stroke and real-world testing at Langley Field's wind tunnel. Whether you're curious about what keeps a plane in the sky or just love seeing how mid-century comics tackled science, this straightforward aerodynamics lesson delivers genuine insight without the mystique.

The Air Kids get their chance to test their new jet-propelled model plane when a robbery at the airfield throws their usual hideout into chaos—and gives them an unexpected way to help catch the crook. With quick thinking and their prized invention, the kids race to turn the tables before the desperate thief makes good his escape.