Being a Canuk myself, and growing up on the farm, I was exposed to both systems. My father talked in acres and miles [ still does] and really it makes sense as they land was marked out in the same sections as any other farm land[1 mile by 1 mile]. One trick I figured out to help me follow directions was to use a speedometer to convert like a slide rule. If someone says go 4 miles north and 3 miles west, if you look on the speedo, 40 miles/hr is about 60km/hr so 4 miles is ~ 6km's. I used to navigate all over the place using this to 'convert' the directions into something usable/definable by the vehicles odometer. There are nice things about the metric system however they did complicate it more than needed. If you never use cm, cL you'll be fine. [instead only use mm and mL or meters and litres]
Someone mentioned that a cc isn't a ml, care to explain? I've never heard this.
One thing I've always wondered about is, did the metric people figure out a way to navigate the globe? [ie Lat/Long]
Jarrett Johnson [not an advocate of either system]
----- Original Message -----
From: Todd Bartrim <bartrim@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 2:55 am
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Metric
> Hi John;
>
> Ok, I didn't realize you were referring to
> matching your US
> odometer to distances up here. Not a problem up here as every
> vehicle sold
> in Canada since 1977 has the odometer in Km. And from wheat to
> steam and
> everything in between, it drove everybody from farmers to
> engineers nuts at
> first. I was 10 when it was switched and wasn't impressed at the
> time as I
> was having enough trouble learning the 3 "R"s, but it turns out to
> havebenefitted me as I can easily use both systems without the
> need for mental
> conversion (except temp, never did care for the Fahrenheit thing),
> but my
> Dad who all along has embraced the metric system still mentally
> converts(even though he is loathe to admit it), while my much
> younger brother has
> never really known anything but metric. I can tell you that many
> things are
> much simpler to calculate using metric. Steam tables are one of
> the nastiest
> examples I can think off. Not something many people ever have to
> deal with,
> but a good example of how much simpler and strait forward that
> metric can
> make something.
>
> While I still have memories of dreading the
> changeover, in
> hindsight it was really all that painful and it will benefit future
> generations. Dave, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the US
> military has
> changed over or are in the process of it now? So while you
> naturally want to
> resist it, if not your kids, then your grandkids will benefit from
> a change
> while they're young enough to adapt easily.
>
> I'm tempted to answer some of the other e-mails regarding
> economic benefits
> etc. but I really can't see what continuing this discussion has to
> do with
> rotary engines in airplanes, so I've decided to leave it at this.
>
> Now if wasn't currently -29C here (that's -20F for
> you SAE
> types) or if I'd gotten my shop heated before winter, then maybe I'd
> actually be working on my plane and have something more relevant
> to talk
> about!
>
>
>
> Todd (resistance is futile. you will be assimilated J)
>
>
>
> From: Rotary motors in aircraft [
flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On
> Behalf Of John Downing
> Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 6:20 AM
> To: Rotary motors in aircraft
> Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Metric
>
>
>
> Todd; When you leave Michigan and travel east towards Niagara
> Falls, you
> pass through the rural farm land all laid out in mile square
> sections. The
> signs are in km and the odometer is in miles and all the distances
> needconversion. I didn't think it was broke, but they changed it.
> When you
> look at the bushels of wheat per acre, it really gets more involved,
> hectoliters per hectare??, that change must have driven allot of
> ole farmers
> nuts. Just my casual observation from the farm. JohnD
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Todd Bartrim <bartrim@gmail.com
>
>
> To: Rotary <flyrotary@lancaironline.net> motors in aircraft
>
> Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 12:25 AM
>
> Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Metric
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I have seen this in Canada and none of the distances match
> anything you see.
>
>
>
>
> I don't get this? Care to elaborate?
>
>
>
> Todd (matching distances everywhere I look)
>
>