Aviation, Imagination of the Future from the Past

Antonio said:
Actually that’s a bizarre version of the real HMS X1 submarine. Not far from the article about turning pre dreadnoughts into land battleships.
Everything here is a product of ignorance and non sense but, after a century, I must admit that it has adquired an unexpected appeal.
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The origin of this legend lies in a World War I joke attributed to the German emperor who said, "English battleships have no wheels.":)
 

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Sineva said:
Yes,it looks rather elegant,the mounting points on the upper fuselage almost look like pivots as tho the whole wing could have some ability to move up and down.I also like the idea of the push/pull configuration,I`ve always loved that sort of configuration since I read about the zeppelin staaken r planes waaay back in the late 90s.
I wish I had access to pg 543 so I could learn the secrets behind this machine.:D
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Going waay back ...

This cover images was from the April 1933 edition of Popular Mechanics (it'd be handy to have the year when those images are posted). Attached is a poor-condition scan of the relevant article on page 543.

That article was entitled Plane for air or water has promenade deck. The channel wings were not chosen for aerodynamic advantage or to be able to pivot. Instead, the curved sections were meant to shield the cabin from noise. Both the wings and powerplants were intended to be jettisoned if the aircraft had to be ditched.

Once the wings were shed, the flying boat hull was to be propelled by propellers near the tail. No mention of how those props were to be driven - the aircraft powerplants having been discarded along with the wings.
 

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hesham said:
A strange idea ?,from Flight 1921.
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Strange only because it never came to be. When this concept was published, experiments with planes landing on aircraft carriers had been underway for a decade. It probably seemed like a completely reasonable idea at the time.
 
Apophenia said:
Once the wings were shed, the flying boat hull was to be propelled by propellers near the tail. No mention of how those props were to be driven - the aircraft powerplants having been discarded along with the wings.
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Perhaps the prop was linked to a set bicycle pedals in front of each passenger seat?
 
Although that 1920 "Airship of tomorrow" is not today's tomorrow it is pretty cool.
Would be fun to experience the interior, and exterior!, spaces of a real one.
 
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That might work on Venus, where the envelope can be the gondola itself with 1 atm being a lifting gas compared to the denser atmosphere outside.

Now getting that monster to Venus is the problem.
 
Did the Jetsons inspire that 'Flying Carpet', or vice-versa ??

( Yes, yes, the hapless Avro Canada VZ-9 may also feature... )
 

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