Nothing to do with Christmas. Before moving to Charlotte, NC in 1979, I lived in "upstate" New York near Rhinebeck, NY were the [link|http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/|Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome] is located. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome was and appears to still be a living museum of sorts. Back then on summer weekends, Cole Palen dressed as the [link|http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/richthofen1.html|Red Baron] would fly a [link|http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/germany/fokker/dri.html|Fokker tri-plane] and a fellow named David Fox would fly a [link|http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/sopwith/camel.html|Sopwith Camel] and have dog-fight. Davis Fox had a small Snoopy figurine in model airplane attached to the top of his helmet. Disregarding the summer season, they played the song over the PA system.

The Fokker was painted red and had a Maltese cross to match that of the Red Baron. Both planes had rotary engines where the crankshaft is fixed and the engine (with attached propeller) rotates.

Well, it was before my time. :) But, in those days they were experimenting with different airplane engine designs.

Cooling was obviously not a problem. In fact there was a cowling over the upper 2/3 or so of the Fokker engine. Fuel distribution was relatively easy and went through the hollow crankshaft. There was no throttle, so one had to simply interrupt the fuel flow for speed control. The engine's flywheel effect kept things going. Listening to that on the ground the first time, is a bit disconcerting. The Fokker, I remember, had a 2 cycle engine, which helps with the power to weight ratio. Castor oil was mixed in with the fuel for lubrication.

The engine's gyroscopic effect stabilized the plane in flight. But, if you read the Sopwith Camel link, made take-offs tricky.