Forget personal jet packs, where's my sky toboggan? The April, 1935 issue of Science and Mechanics featured this wonderful "Sky Sled" on its cover.
See also:
Cyclonic Rocket (circa 1930)'Flying Saucer' Buses (1950)New York in 1960 (1935)Amphibian Monorail (Popular Science, 1934)
Heck, that wouldn't be dangerous at all.
ReplyDeleteWell, it *is* 1935 afterall. If it stays up, its fun. If it crashes, it puts you out of your misery.
ReplyDeleteIn keeping with the "Toboggan" nomenclature, the Sky Toboggan is unsteerable and no brakes.
ReplyDeleteI want one!
It is a tractor-propeller, lifting-body aircraft - while most existing lifting bodies or flying wings have either jet or pusher propulsion, I'd hardly call it "completely impractical." Though as an engineer, I have to admit that the wing loading looks really really high...
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that the propellers look like they're 4 feet across. Yeah, that'll fly.
ReplyDeleteThe engines are in the cabin. Wouldn't that be a little noisy?
ReplyDeleteDangerous?
ReplyDelete"As strong as, or stronger than, canvas!"
4 feet propellers should be enough, hey, you should just make them spin a lot faster, duh.
Also, I can not see how such small engines could ever be noisy, even in the cabin.
Small engines use little fuel, so small tanks in the back of the plane won't make the center of gravity shift TOO much, I hope.
So, no problem. I order one!
Nevermind all those minor quibbles about propeller and engine design. You can't possibly knock an aircraft that has no need for fuel tanks!
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