Now and again, since my childhood, I’ve seen a “blooper reel” of early attempts at flying machines—most or all of which didn’t work. But one of them always stood out in my mind; a machine that looked like an engine on a bedstead, with no wings, and in place of any props or rotors, it had what looked like a large disc mounted on a pole (horizontally, like a helicopter’s main rotor), which pumped up and down to try an create some lift. (It didn’t work, 'natch.)
My question is; what the heck was this machine? Who was it’s inventor? Is there any technical information (or at least, some pictures of it) available online?
I know what you’re talking about, but don’t know what it’s called. That footage was usually shown in assocation with the plane that had about 8 wings which collapsed within seconds on moving.
If you can get a hold of a movie called Gizmo, you may find it there – it’s a narrated compilation of old footage of mostly failed inventions, including quite a few (non-)flying machines.
Given that the parasol thingy didn’t just shake up and down, but had vanes that were supposed to open on the upstroke, and close on the downstroke, you can see what he was thinking. It still doesn’t work, though.
