What the heck is this?

[Terry Murphy]

[/URL]I have no idea what this 1908?/ flying machine is? Any ideas?

[URL="http://www.exoticairplanes.com/_fotos/_originals/14199.JPG"]http://www.exoticairplanes.com/_fotos/_resized/14199.JPG (http://www.exoticairplanes.com/_fotos/_originals/14199.JPG)

[cjnewson88]

I'm guessing it never flew..

[Herod]

Prototype of the Starship "Enterprise"?

[treadigraph]

Isn't that Lofty's hat from "it aint half hot mum"?

Mind you, genesis of many a UFO story...

[India Four Two]

Well, on the Internet, it's a Nazi UFO, but judging by the flags, it was built in a secret California workshop. ;)

I thought I was on to something when I found the same picture listed as "Desconhecido 08", but that turns out to be Portuguese for Unknown!

[Terry Murphy]

Or maybe this one would be more apropos.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDb9iG8_UCPDmlBniuDdqENu38X6DJ8OYSvGbWfyr ygq_mDnYB

[Noyade]

Prototype of the Starship "Enterprise"? Ditto that mate! :ok:

I'm sure there is a Warp Speed Indicator somewhere in the cockpit.

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/6804/14199.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/14199.jpg/)

[Noyade]

What the heck is this?Hmm...could be a promising thread Terry. :)

I saw this on telly the other day....

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/5922/img0261eo.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/img0261eo.jpg/)

[Self Loading Freight]

Would like to know this too. I think it's the same thing as appears in a standard black-and-white clip shown in countless 'early days of aviation" docs, where something with a pulsating, jellyfish-like parasol of around that size and construction is shown vigorously shaking itself to bits on the ground. I've never been able to trace that clip, nor find out anything about it.

[sisemen]

Jeez! It's bloody obvious. It's a big shed with some contraption being wheeled out of it.

[Lone_Ranger]

Well, looking at the engine/prop combination, Date is definately post manned heavier than air flight, so whoever had it built was very rich, very stupid, very American (possibly Californian) and was alive and probably an adult around 1906 ish

Sorry, I know that's a huge field of suspects, hopefully someone can narrow that down a little

[zetec2]

Noyade, so that will be the 5 engine B727 then ????? bet it had awesome performance !, PH.

[nacluv]

Here you go, SLF! (0.39 or thereabouts).

iMhdksPFhCM

[HighTow]

I noticed there's a Californian Republic flag hanging off the front. Wonder if it's a Botts creation?

[L1649]

Some fantastic creations there - what were they thinking? The designers/pilots of the one at the end seemed to be on the right track, though...;)

[Noyade]

what were they thinking?Especially Gustav! What the hell was he thinking in 1925? Obviously the brothers never talked to each other...

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7853/clipboard01ghj.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/clipboard01ghj.jpg/)

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/309/img784l.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/401/img784l.jpg/)

so that will be the 5 engine B727 then ?Correct, from the movie Contact...:)

Contact (1997) - IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118884/)

[Agaricus bisporus]

I don't think its closely related to the pumping parasol in the movie clip, if its even related at all. There are very few similarities between them except for the parasol's shape, and we don't know what action - if any - the OP's machine had. It is clearly intended to gain lift by forward motion (due to the prop) and the machine in the movie clip was not. Design & construction are totally different.

The Aerodrome Forum - View Single Post - Breguet's Pre-1914 Challenge #130 (http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/468319-post22.html)

The above link gives some info on the mysterious California-based Professor Botts but suggests that he only built one design which was steam powered (& though highly unconventional it bears little resemblance to the OP's pic) which was destroyed in a storm, upon which the good Prof apparently retired elsewhere and never built another. Or maybe he did!

Curioser and curioser!

[Guest 112233]

I'm sure I have seen this:contraption on film

Its a flapping flying machine, an ornithopter that smashed its self to bits without getting airborne. Edit: A b may have beaten me to it here.

or a Rotating wing design - I found a design by Botts dating from 1904 see this The Aerodrome Forum - View Single Post - Breguet's Pre-1914 Challenge #130 (http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/468319-post22.html)

could it be one of his designs ?

The American Flag: Indicates an American Event but it could be a foreign Design. Possibly Octave Chanute ? born in France but became an American.