Gizmo Movie: True Inspiration

erco

Howard Smith's video "Gizmo" should be required viewing for any aspiring inventor. It is a hysterical compilation of inventions and demonstrations from the 1920s-1940s era on glorious, grainy black & white film. Some inventions actually have merit (there is Roomba-like robot in the middle) but·most are textbook examples of what not to do, and interviews with the inventors are priceless. I have this video on VHS, but curiously it was never converted to DVD. Hopefully someday. It is on Youtube in 8 parts, the first at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUcg_JoqwiQ&feature=PlayList&p=1D7BBA5BA7A9FD56·. It·starts with more·"human feats", but it is worth watching in its entirety. Well-worth bookmarking for inspiration & entertainment!


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·"If you build it, they will come."

W9GFO

Interesting movie! At least one theme of the movie was all the innovations that didn't really work out. Especially all the ones for the ultimate dream of human flight.

Since the movie ended with an example of a wonderful, successful invention that is very dear to me I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the inventor of the modern hang glider.



The guy in the middle is John Dickenson, he invented the modern hang glider. Ken de Russy of the Hang Gliding Museum is on the left and your's truly is on the right.

What about Francis Rogallo you ask? Even Rogallo credits john with inventing the hang glider. Peruse John's website above if you want to learn more.

Rich H

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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.

Post Edited (W9GFO) : 10/28/2009 9:41:48 PM GMT

erco

Awesome! I bought my 16' Eipperformance HG trainer from an auction at Kitty Hawk Kites for $140 when I was 16. I survived a few harrowing flights and some "interesting" landings...

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·"If you build it, they will come."

W9GFO

My parents never gave me the go ahead to build my own out of antenna masts, plastic sheeting and duct tape. I had to wait until moving to California when I was 19 to take my first flights at Playa del Rey.

There is really nothing else like it.

Rich H

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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.

hover1

I used to fly in a Zephyr HG in the late 70's. It was made in Connecticut but I can not find any reference to it now.

Today, I fly close to the ground. 8"-10"

Rich..That's so cool that you could meet him. And so sad that he's gone..

@erco Going to check those movies out. Now back to the twins!

Jim

W9GFO said...
My parents never gave me the go ahead to build my own out of antenna masts, plastic sheeting and duct tape. I had to wait until moving to California when I was 19 to take my first flights at Playa del Rey.

There is really nothing else like it.

Rich H

Post Edited (hover1) : 10/28/2009 10:05:31 PM GMT

erco

Rich: I work in El Segundo, and I run or bike past the sand dunes at Playa del Rey almost every day. I'm pleased to report that there is a modest hang gliding school there even now. They operate on weekends out of a shipping container "office" in a corner of the parking lot of the Hyperion water treatment plant.

LA made the site an official glider flight park several years ago. They dedicated a brass/concrete landmark at an opening ceremony, and pilots demo'ed all types of gliders, from the newest high-efficiency types that can slope soar the dune all day to the very first bamboo & plastic sheet kites that barely have the glide ratio to go straight down the hill. Ah, progress!

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·"If you build it, they will come."

W9GFO

hover1 said...
I used to fly in a Zephyr HG in the late 70's. It was made in Connecticut but I can not find any reference to it now.

Today, I fly close to the ground. 8"-10"

Rich..That's so cool that you could meet him. And so sad that he's gone..

Francis Rogallo passed recently but John is alive and well as far as I know.

I've also met with Barry Palmer a couple times, you should have heard of him since he is very interested in ground effect vehicles as well. He was also working toward human flight in the early sixties but found more success using an engine along with the Rogallo wing.

Interesting letter from Francis Rogallo to Palmer predicting the popularity of foot launched flight.

Rich h

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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.

W9GFO

erco said...
Rich: I work in El Segundo, and I run or bike past the sand dunes at Playa del Rey almost every day. I'm pleased to report that there is a modest hang gliding school there even now. They operate on weekends out of a shipping container "office" in a corner of the parking lot of the Hyperion water treatment plant.

LA made the site an official glider flight park several years ago. They dedicated a brass/concrete landmark at an opening ceremony, and pilots demo'ed all types of gliders, from the newest high-efficiency types that can slope soar the dune all day to the very first bamboo & plastic sheet kites that barely have the glide ratio to go straight down the hill. Ah, progress!

That's cool! I know they had closed that site down shortly after I flew there.

Rich H

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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.

erco

Jim:

I MUST be sleep deprived from the twins' AM feedings: in my first glance at your photo, it looked like that big tree stump and giant bird houses were mounted on your hovercraft.

But that would be silly.

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·"If you build it, they will come."

hover1

Rich, I·quoted the wrong link, it was the Rogallo death.

Small world. I known Barry very well. I met with him when I lived in Seattle, he is somewhat of·guru in the hovercraft community. His Sevtec hovercraft has a big following all accross the world.

His AOL web site got shut down so I bought him sevtech.info and sevtech.biz, but he retired and passed his business onto Brian @

http://www.amphibiousmarine.com/

who I also met when I lived in Seattle.

I believe he claims to have built the first Trike also based on the wing. I will have to find that info.

Jim

W9GFO said...

hover1 said...
I used to fly in a Zephyr HG in the late 70's. It was made in Connecticut but I can not find any reference to it now.

Today, I fly close to the ground. 8"-10"

Rich..That's so cool that you could meet him. And so sad that he's gone..

Francis Rogallo passed recently but John is alive and well as far as I know.

I've also met with Barry Palmer a couple times, you should have heard of him since he is very interested in ground effect vehicles as well. He was also working toward human flight in the early sixties but found more success using an engine along with the Rogallo wing.

Interesting letter from Francis Rogallo to Palmer predicting the popularity of foot launched flight.

Rich h

hover1

Your right and your wrong..kinda

The reason I bought that trailer was for my hovercrafts, (ebay New 22' tilt trailer, $2200 dollars great bargin). Well it spent 3 years delivering things like that tree and treehouse more than the hovercrafts! That's what we make, but that one is·small compared to the 25' ones we make.

What·WOULD be silly if I were to foam a tree stump onto the hovercraft. Would only take about an hour at work but... where would I sit.

Best to Mom and Newbies

Jim

erco said...
Jim:

I MUST be sleep deprived from the twins' AM feedings: in my first glance at your photo, it looked like that big tree stump and giant bird houses were mounted on your hovercraft.

But that would be silly.