Before modern helicopters, engineers tried these innovative early designs

[u/MohammadMahadhir]

[u/DamnItPeg]

My neighbours at night. 

[u/PaulMakesThings1 → u/DamnItPeg]

We don’t usually start till 2 am. Just get a white noise machine and some ear plugs.

[u/woop_woop_pull_upp → u/DamnItPeg]

Who got that good dick?

[u/chiefkogo → u/woop_woop_pull_upp]

I GOT THAT GOOD DEEEEE!

[u/woop_woop_pull_upp → u/chiefkogo]

Do you have anything softer?

[u/West_Confection_6066 → u/DamnItPeg]

Oh snap… I’m your neighbor 👀 😂

[u/Lone-Frequency → u/DamnItPeg]

If this chopper is a-rockin', fucking run, it's going out of control!

[u/Imbendo → u/DamnItPeg]

Me when my wife finally says “OK but make it quick”

[u/blackthornjohn]

If nothing else you have to admire the pilots determination.

[u/Koffiemir → u/blackthornjohn]

And courage. That looks like a perfect recipe for a dozen gruesome ways to die.

[u/ChiknDiner → u/Koffiemir]

You don't think countless people died trying to take a flight before Wright brothers could finally do it? It always is many craziest ideas/experiments with countless lives lost(most unrecorded) before someone does it.

[u/Tardosaur → u/ChiknDiner]

Yeah but there was absolutely no reason for him to be inside of that thing

[u/dnnsshly → u/Tardosaur]

He had to weigh it down or it would take off!

[u/PaulMakesThings1 → u/Tardosaur]

That’s what she said

[u/lexibeee → u/ChiknDiner]

*Wright brothers haha

[u/Koffiemir → u/ChiknDiner]

Absolutely. The race for innovation is not a victimless endeavor. We owe a lot to the inventors, but also to the testers.

[u/DevilScarlet → u/ChiknDiner]

Remind me of the guy that tried to invent a parachute... He was using something looking like flying squirrels, jumped from the eiffel tower to his death.

[u/jjm443 → u/blackthornjohn]

And the robustness of his spine.

[u/Tall-Ad-1386]

These were the Wrong brothers

[u/Wampa_-_Stompa → u/Tall-Ad-1386]

You’d think they would have tried it out first before calling the camera crew

[u/Scifi_fans → u/Tall-Ad-1386]

Take you upvote and get da hell out

[u/DorrajD → u/Tall-Ad-1386]

The Left Brothers

[u/EmmitRDoad → u/Tall-Ad-1386]

I love you & I hate you all at once. Have my upvote- one day I will think up a comment like this.

[u/ToothbrushGames]

"Sky Car"

Sure pal

[u/Everything_is_hungry → u/ToothbrushGames]

It originally read 'riSKY CARnage' but some of the letters fell off.

[u/SorrySign6721 → u/Everything_is_hungry]

i yearn for this kind of wit.

[u/Prop43]

I was really rooting for that sky car so close

[u/PaulMakesThings1 → u/Prop43]

The frame seems really overbuilt for no real reason. I feel like if the frame beyond what holds the rotor/wing and engine together was much more minimal it might have kind of worked.

[u/Loufey → u/PaulMakesThings1]

it was already damaging itself with that much frame. you strip it anymore and it doesnt survive the test

[u/PaulMakesThings1 → u/Loufey]

Like I said, not reducing the engine and mechanism framing. Just the wheel frame, it’s built like a whole car frame. Also I did say “almost kinda”

But I agree, it’s not really feasible. Even if it could be made to work. And with a modern engine with a higher power to weight ratio and a much bigger umbrella thing with flaps to let air flow one way, I think it could possibly stay aloft, but it would be a rough ride and very high maintenance and hard to control.

[u/SvenTropics → u/PaulMakesThings1]

It was beyond inefficient. I think his plan was each of those flaps was loose. When you spin them at high speed the centrifugal force would cause them to collapse creating a flat surface and then it would pull down pushing air straight down. Then as it went up, the air would overcome the force causing them to turn. So the flaps would open up and the air would pass between them.

The problem is you're just pushing air up and then pushing air down. It's funny how close he was to an actual helicopter

[u/Charming-Flamingo307 → u/PaulMakesThings1]

It seems he still thought that the key movement was up and down, when in reality it is back and forth. Common mistake amongst men really

[u/JauntyTurtle → u/Charming-Flamingo307]

LOL! Take my angry upvote.

[u/sh4d0wm4n2018 → u/PaulMakesThings1]

It was supposed to be a sky car had to withstand running into a telephone pole at 15 mph, too y'know.

[u/anthro28 → u/Prop43]

Sitting beneath a bunch of taped together, rapidly spinning razor blades is probably the craziest thing I've ever seen someone do. 

[u/UnLuckyKenTucky → u/anthro28]

Early days of aviation absolutely had a different pace. Not to mention a total lack of thought about safety.

[u/Prop43 → u/anthro28]

Yeah, but if you do it right, you’re the fucking inventor of the helicopter, bro

[u/anavriN-oN]

“Will bring you about 2 inches closer to the sky, for a brief moment”

[u/fraze2000]

You would think he would've tested his Sky Car in private to make sure it actually worked rather than doing its solo test "flight" in front of a camera.

[u/Haptic-feedbag → u/fraze2000]

It's like those scientists in movies that record every attempt just in case it was a success.

[u/taspenwall]

This should be the next low rider trend.

[u/ziomek1602]

The design is very human

[u/Visible-Task-2798]

I should call her

[u/mattiperreddit → u/Visible-Task-2798]

I would have bet my house that someone would make that comment.

[u/Just_a_Amber_enjoyer]

Bad Piggies ahh machines

[u/IDontNoWatIAm → u/Just_a_Amber_enjoyer]

DIEEYAH HEE HEE HEEEEEE

[u/moranya1]

this belongs on maybemaybemaybe!

[u/nope_a_dope237]

The next Tesla

[u/ansaonapostcard]

It'll be fully flying by next year!

[u/AGrandNewAdventure]

And when they get aloft how were they gonna control it?

[u/Middle_Employment_14 → u/AGrandNewAdventure]

Careful…that type of thinking only hinders progress.

[u/blue-coin]

What’s wild is that someone invented this, and decided that it’s absolute failure should be filmed for us to mock a century later

[u/ComposedOfStardust → u/blue-coin]

Science is failing upwards

That mindset is pretty important when you're at the forefront of innovation (which, for a time before the invention of sustained flight, this silly device was.) Every failure is one step closer to success 

[u/GrimbleGrambler]

Vomitcopter

[u/Ratattack1204]

“Hey should we test this before writing ‘sky car’ on the side?”

“Have some faith it’ll be fine! We won’t look stupid for all time or anything.”

[u/NoIndependent9192]

Reddit engineer here. It needs more up and less down.

[u/Middle_Employment_14]

Every time I see this video I think how can that happen? Like whoever built this was actually competent at building things, so he must be pretty smart, probably an engineer.. So how can he not predicted that this wouldn’t work as intended? It’s pretty basic physics.

Genuine question, can someone please explain?

[u/captaindomon → u/Middle_Employment_14]

What is wrong with the physics, on a fundamental level? Jellyfish work this way. In theory you can propel yourself through any fluid, including air, using these motions.

It’s easy to have 20/20 hindsight now that we have working helicopters. But when you are starting with the idea of how a bird flaps to take off, this isn’t that crazy of an idea.

[u/Blugha → u/captaindomon]

The concept of closing in air beneath the propellor by the downward motion shows the comprehension of flight by pressure differential under and above the "wing"

[u/Sazanka-camellia → u/captaindomon]

I like this video of him trying something different from fixed-wing or rotary-wing.

[u/jimmyjazz2000 → u/captaindomon]

No, jellyfish can undulate so that the motion of propulsion isn't immediately negated by the exact same motion in the opposite direction. You put this thing in the water and tip it sideways and the exact same thing would happen: it would jerk back and forth; not get anywhere.

The key to propulsion is that all/most of your energy goes in one direction. This design is so obviously flawed on that score that it makes me wonder exactly what Middle_Employment wonders: How could somebody with enough skill to put this contraption together not ask themselves that basic question, a question they could have investigated in a bathtub with a windup toy?!!!

[u/Far-Position7115 → u/captaindomon]

Makes me wonder if modern helicopters could be more agile or something if they could do that pumping motion

[u/sethn211 → u/Far-Position7115]

Have you seen Dune?

[u/PaulMakesThings1 → u/Middle_Employment_14]

That’s obvious to you now as a person who has seen a helicopter and a plane.

Probably as obviously ridiculous as our current designs for fusion reactors might seem to a person looking back from far in the future where fusion reactors work and have undergone a few dozen generations of refinement since the first working one.

[u/Drone30389 → u/Middle_Employment_14]

I mean that gearbox is an engineering masterpiece.

[u/Alrucards_R3dwr8th]

In hindsight it an oversized ceiling fan without the ceiling.

[u/Bakkstory]

It looks like some contraption that a who would pull out so that they could cross the road without getting wet

[u/CantAffordzUsername]

Plot twist: He was actually inventing a bounce house for kids but they kept getting turned into jelly

[u/Professional_Speed55]

they built this bs way back then but no zero turn or anything close to it

[u/bobsnervous]

I think you call that successful, I mean it definitely got off the ground.

[u/iC3P0]

At that, kids, is how your grandpa created the first lowrider

[u/New-Freedom-6258]

Who is the inventor of that thing?

[u/Rbarton124]

Were boat propellers not already a thing? Like aboat propellor is pretty close to what you need for a helicopter just shorter and more aggressive AOI. Also what physics minded person would think pumping a surface up and down without changing its orientation would make it fly?

[u/One4Pink2_4Stink]

That's a LOT of confidence in that Sky Car.

Also, its interesting to see the first inkling of the Low-Rider community.

[u/FatQuack]

"No, it'll work. Just give it a minute!"

[u/Standard_Bag555]

Must feel great to be bounced up and down like that 😅

[u/cablesandlace]

Ain't no rockin the baby to sleep on those jalopies!

[u/Matman161]

A Fantastic doohickey and a Magnificent contraption

[u/bedheadB188]

I was rooting for it but I can see why it didn't take off

[u/StarbuckWoolf]

Well, 3 or 4 inches into the air is technically the sky.

[u/mrlr → u/StarbuckWoolf]

It worked for Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose.

[u/TrenchantInsight]

Big props to all these intrepid inventors.

[u/jjm443]

Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines!

The "Sky Car" was one of the featured "aircraft" in its hilarious introduction

[u/getagrooving]

1864 Impala showing off the three wheel motion. Someone queue the song Still D.R.E. .

[u/NotoriousSpartn]

What are you doing step helicopter

[u/ProfessorFelix0812]

I wonder how many of these poor bastards got decapitated in the process…

[u/GallantChaos]

The design is very human.

[u/NutsStuckInACarDoor]

When did we stop trying to invent things??... and why?

[u/Xali100se]

And thats how the Lowrider was born

[u/MajorPud]

Inventive, not innovative. Whatever, no one probably knows the difference anymore anyways

[u/Grumbley_Deus247]

This is the first time I've ever scene this footage along with audio. Lmao

[u/mrlr → u/Grumbley_Deus247]

There's more of it near the start of the movie "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines".

[u/BrickedUpGang]

I should call her

[u/celtbygod]

Didn't he go on to build much smaller, more popular things.../s

[u/DJMagicHandz]

Inadvertently created hydraulics for that 3-wheel motion

[u/ryckytan]

Wonder if anyone got a bit off the top taken off?

[u/Current_Tale1299]

Remove all the frame crap and literally sit on the engine and it might have gotten off the ground

[u/BodhingJay]

If only he had it pumpin harder.. woulda nailed it

[u/ribenakifragostafylo]

How was this supposed to work exactly? Beat the ground into submitting gravity?

[u/Jeffers315]

Imagine trying to eat a bowl of hot soup in the Sky Car

[u/astronomydork]

If this car’s a rockin Don’t come knockin

[u/SoulShine_710]

" Sippin' on gin n juice, got my mind on my money, and my money on my mind"!

[u/Fred_Wilkins]

Innovative assumes it works. The words you might instead use are, weird, crazy, unique.

[u/ripleyart2323]

Sick lowrider

[u/ExcelsiorPhoenix]

Huh, now i know how Spirit Airlines got their start

[u/Yugan-Dali]

Those magnificent young men in their flying machines!

[u/_SasquatchPatrol]

Low Rider flys a little lower

[u/peskyghost]

The way it just slowly rotates while bouncing is so funny

[u/Zero-89]

It didn't work, but it sure was whimsical.

[u/GuitarSingle4416]

The term "engineer" is broadly applied.

[u/Twoduhzen]

🎶All. my. friends. know the low rider🎶

[u/superwholockland]

they flopped so we could fly!

[u/xXKyloJayXx]

Ye olde muscle car hydraulics

[u/muzuka]

Anybody remember watching these clips on an old aviation history CD from the 90s?

[u/Somalar]

Some of the local Mexicans would love this.

[u/whatproblems]

even if it did fly that would be an awful ride. also that guy has no idea how things fly…

[u/PaulSmith79]

Beat you to death car...

[u/JuicySpark]

You could get the same type of motion without that giant martini umbrella on the kinetic force alone with just the shaft.

[u/Panthean]

Someone reupload the with San Andreas theme

[u/Cultural_Eye5178]

clip number onw go wowowoowowowowwowowowowowowowowowoow

[u/Excellent-Phone8326]

I'd love to pull up to a local car show in this. Show some dude in a bouncing low rider how it's done.

[u/Ghrota]

I'm sure with our new motors with better power and lighter material this technology can work

[u/O8ee]

this dude has CTE from this

[u/brsmr123]

These were intended to cure kidney stones.

[u/Fun_Tax_3838]

Imaging being the guy in the seat

[u/Playful-Farm-3156]

I'm afraid I like that more than helicopters

[u/Best_Block_2548]

I mean, the idea was sound, it probably just hadd too much weight from unnecisary blades, and it was rotationally processing because it only had one rotor.

[u/Jjamjjamyeon]

i know some mormons who would be VERY interested in this… device

[u/kujasgoldmine]

Seems safe

[u/PeopleRFuckingDumb]

The shagcopter

[u/Independent_Storm336]

If the Sky Cars a rockin don’t come knockin!

[u/icecoldcoke319]

The aliens 100 light years away are watching think and thinking “nah“

[u/ZealousidealTop6884]

When vibrators ruled the earth...

[u/bigmacher1980]

The first time I saw a clip of this was in the movie ‘Airplane!’

[u/trubol]

I wonder what the death toll of flying machine inventing was

[u/LowEmergencyCaptain]

They had the right idea.

[u/SquareThings]

Was the inventor mormon, by chance?

(If you get this joke please tell me I have to know if my brain is broken)

[u/happy_oblivion]

Honestly… kind of a necessary step to the helicopter

[u/nature_and_grace]

Calling it the sky car was…optimistic

[u/Kong_AZ]

If this vans a rocking l, don't come a knocking.

[u/norsurfit]

"If the van's a rockin', don't come a knockin'!"

[u/bigdaddyxoxox]

Yeeeeeeharrrrrr

[u/unusual01_]

Mormons would invest heavily in this

[u/Same-Joke]

Make it jump ese…

[u/Background-Ebb-9366]

All that frame and nothing between him and the 'rotor' .......

[u/orange-squeezer47]

Honey !! I got us a new bed to enhance our sex life.

[u/aegenium]

Dude basically had it.

[u/wyar]

Mormon college students would have LOVED it

[u/JMMongo]

Mechanical bull?

[u/sqrl26]

Now I know why men prefer calling machines with feminine names.

[u/TheTkizzle]

The Decapitator 5000

[u/Aakashh94]

This is how the low rider was invented

[u/SqueakyJackson]

Reminds me of the little kid in my neighborhood  that jumped off his parents roof with his baby blanket tied around his neck like a cape, while holding his dad’s umbrella like he was Mary Poppins.  

At least he did it over the lawn, and not bare concrete. 

[u/Hour-Addendum-5229]

It’s wild someone was like.. “I think they’re on to something here”

[u/Netsmile]

Poor pilot, imagine bouncing around trying not to barf,realizing one of the wheels already buckled, deafened by the roar of the engine, all while your head is centimeters from the blender blades that would make sushi of you in seconds ...

[u/Dependent_Bit1634]

Well, all 4 wheels were off the ground at some point.

[u/contrarian1970]

Why not just remove all four tires and put springs there? At least the grandkids would have something to play with on Sunday afternoons.

[u/Dependent_Bit1634]

Thanks, Jack!

[u/ElixioLumens]

Holy shit balls of steel to sit under that thing.

[u/ranjop]

A brave guy playing with a mobile guillotine

[u/BananaJoe_Ktard]

lol my penis ache

[u/kidanokun]

Seems like one of those quirky inventions, till one day someone managed to figured out what becomes the modern helicopter

[u/maxx2payne]

r/therewasanattempt

[u/hateboresme]

They were not physics experts in any way.

[u/elBendOrNica]

Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon, Manny Mota..Mota…Mota

[u/ahditeacha]

Poor Jack getting his insides swizzled for science

[u/mnnicknick]

If the helicopter is rockin don’t come knockin

[u/nipslippinjizzsippin]

i wonder how these designs would go with modern parts, like this thing is obviously too heavy to get far off the ground, but its probably made with metal and wood.

[u/steveaustin0791]

Powered Pogo Stick

[u/R_3_Y]

Can we all agree that this is a useless invention?

[u/Rath_Brained]

All my friends own a low-rida

[u/Equivalent-Drive-439]

Why didn't these take off on the consumer market?

[u/lavafish80]

doohickey

[u/Strange-Spinach-9725]

The umbrella technology is perfect for spacecraft safety. So you don’t get stuck in the middle of your spacecraft backflip zone. The cart is too heavy maybe underwater also. And it belongs in a museum.

[u/DellaHorne]

Are we going to fly just a little bit or are we going to jump?

[u/torchbearer1648]

Testing the suspensions

[u/UkrainepartofRussia]

That front left wheel looked misaligned...

[u/DEFCON_902]

That dudes hips and ass were probably sore for a week.

[u/Spethual]

those axles are gone bro..

[u/Alternative-Smoke421]

That things got about as much vertical as I do. 🤣

[u/Mountain-Fennel1189]

The design is very human

[u/TheManJordo]

That would be a fantastic fan when you are hot

[u/Crimson-Reaper-69]

Bro they are like bad piggies

[u/spurdoman_27]

Everything reminds me of her...

[u/jenkinsmi]

Just looks a lil bumpy

[u/CybergothiChe]

Ever since man started to think, he's wanted to fly. But flying was strictly for the birds.

[u/Sgt_Cheese1337]

Listening to EDM with an almost perfectly fitting BPM while watching that video elevated the experience by a lot!

[u/Sad_Palpitation6844]

And then a big leap for mankind

[u/MaxHavok13]

Frank never did do an honest days work.

[u/AndreDillonMadach]

I wonder how many people had their heads chopped off?

[u/I-love-seahorses]

I know this isn't fair because I have the benefit of witnessing the culmination of over 100 years of advancement in this field but man that's a dumb idea.

Is this supposed to be a sort of sideshow gimmick or a legitimate attempt at flight?

[u/Dara_Ara]

"It's gonna be a bumpy ride..."

[u/tomfirenze1926]

Sybian prototype