2 thoughts on “True Stuff: A New Flying Machine”

  1. That’s Hiram Maxim’s steam powered aircraft. It was anchored to guide rails for experiments to keep it from flying off, but it actually developed enough lift and tore free of the rails to fly 200 yards (no pilot) causing the accident you see below.

    See more here http://uh.edu/engines/epi1738.htm

    Also the Wikipedia article here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Stevens_Maxim#Captive_Flying_Machines has a section on his amusement park “flying machince” ride at Blackpool, which, amazingly, was in operation in 2006.

    His most famous invention can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdU2erseKSc

    “She get up modestly on her front wheels and sings her old song.”

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