# Flying Lawnmower Literally! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 30, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059 "2004-10-30T20:10:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/1 "2004-10-30T20:10:55Z")
Probably [the craziest thing](http://www.hugi.is/hahradi/bigboxes.php?box_id=51208&f_id=1159) I’ve seen in a while. You can cut the grass and trim the tree tops with the same mower! ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/2 "2004-10-30T20:23:02Z")
😕 :eek: 😃 :o :smack: 🆒 :rolleyes: :dubious: 😛😕 What the hell? I mean, honestly, what in the goddamned hell? ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/3 "2004-10-30T20:24:56Z")
Methinks someone had a model airplane and too much time to kill. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/4 "2004-10-30T20:41:01Z")
Some wacky b3tan made a [flash movie](http://www2.b3ta.com/vid/lawnmowerdreams.swf) setting that video to appropriate music. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/5 "2004-10-30T20:41:21Z")
Not too mention the haircut possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/6 "2004-10-30T23:28:52Z")
Back in the '70s, there was a brand of lawnmower called the Flymo, which rode on an air cushion – no wheels. I never tried one out, so I don’t know how well it worked (I would think it would tend to blow the grass flat so that the blade would pass over it), but this looks a tad more extreme… ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/7 "2004-10-31T01:54:19Z")
Heh… one of the hobby shops I worked at had one hanging from the ceiling. They had a video of it actually flying (it was hung from the ceiling long before I got there) pretty surreal looking. Standard 2 stroke model engine and prop in front, airfoil shaped body and elevons in back. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/8 "2004-10-31T05:18:26Z")
The Flying Lawnmower was printed as plans in, I think, R/C Modeler in the 1970’s or 1980’s. I remember reading the issue when it came out. Mostly foam, it was a pretty clever little design. I haven’t seen the flash movie (won’t load for me), so I don’t know if this is what you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/9 "2004-10-31T05:41:45Z")
I so want one of these. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/10 "2004-10-31T07:05:24Z")
I don’t know where you find this stuff **Tuckerfan** , but it’s the reason you’re in my top 5 of favorite Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/11 "2004-10-31T18:00:24Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > The Flying Lawnmower was printed as plans in, I think, R/C Modeler in the 1970’s or 1980’s. I remember reading the issue when it came out. Mostly foam, it was a pretty clever little design. > > I haven’t seen the flash movie (won’t load for me), so I don’t know if this is what you’re talking about. Yeah, that’s it. Wouldn’t mind seeing the plans as I can’t make out from the clip where the control surfaces are. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/12 "2004-10-31T18:19:43Z")
Clearer photos of a similar design (and an e-mail link for more info) available [here](http://www.pub.nxs.net/dehunt/mower.htm) and [here](http://trisoft.home.texas.net/public_html/GTU_Air2000/DSCN0034.JPG). (I still can’t spot the control surfaces. Maybe under the foam housing? Is that plausible?) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/13 "2004-10-31T19:03:49Z")
I can spot a couple of the control surfaces in [this image](http://www.pub.nxs.net/dehunt/images/gasmower2.jpg), but I don’t see anything like a tail stabilizer ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-lawnmower-literally/272059/14 "2004-10-31T20:05:39Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I don’t see anything like a tail stabilizer Looks like the handle.