I got a new source book this week, and found these great photos in it! They accompany a long article that I didn’t read, but WHY DO I NEED TO because I think the captions tell the whole story.
(Click for bigger.)
2 thoughts on “True Stuff: A New Flying Machine”
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Ah the unending march of science.
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.”