January 7, 2010

Mammoth Flying Swing to Give Bird’s Eye Pyramid View (Jun, 1931)

Filed under: Impractical, Just Weird — @ 1:19 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1931
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I’m sure this is just as the pharaohs intended.

Mammoth Flying Swing to Give Bird’s Eye Pyramid View
Mammoth flying swings erected atop the pyramids, when Egyptian government’s consent is obtained, is amazing project planned by engineers to give tourists a thrilling bird’s eye view of the huge desert structures.

January 1, 2010

Tilting Ash Tray Eliminates Fire Dangers (May, 1938)

Filed under: House and Home, Impractical — @ 12:54 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: May, 1938
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Yeah, because that will work better than just adding a flange.

Tilting Ash Tray Eliminates Fire Dangers

EQUIPPED with a self-tilting mechanism, this ash tray makes it impossible for a cigarette to burn down so short that the weight of the over-hanging end causes the cigarette to over-balance and fall off the tray and burn the table or rug. If the cigarette is allowed to burn for any length of time while on the rest, its heat causes a spring within the tray to expand and tilt, thus dumping the burning butt into the tray. This tray in use eliminates not only the danger of damaging furniture as the result of forgotten cigarettes, but the possibility of fire from the same cause.

December 22, 2009

Killing Flies by Electricity (Sep, 1914)

Filed under: Impractical — @ 1:08 pm
Source: Popular Electricity And Modern Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1914
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Killing Flies by Electricity

THE latest application of electricity is that of killing the green fly by means of an electric spark. This fly is a species found on rose trees and is exceedingly disastrous to the flowers. Heretofore, considerable difficulty has been experienced in ridding rose trees of these pests but the electrical method recently devised is proving both practical and efficient. Read the rest of this entry »

November 13, 2009

RUMPLER Designs Largest Plane (Feb, 1929)

Filed under: Aviation, Impractical — @ 3:14 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1929
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There is an inverse relationship between the likeliness that a design will be produced and the triviality of the items included in the diagram. In this case someone felt the need to point out the landing lights, but neglected to include fuel tanks.

RUMPLER Designs Largest Plane

Herr Rumpler, famous designer of Germany’s war time fighting planes, is turning his peace time activities to good account in developing the world’s largest airplanes. Rumpler, shown above in a characteristic pose at his drafting board, is now building an enormous monoplane which will have wings large enough to place staterooms in. A new blunt-nosed wing section is used to effect this design. Read the rest of this entry »

August 19, 2009

Plastic Oven (Feb, 1946)

Filed under: Impractical, Kitchen — @ 10:10 pm
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1946
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Even assuming that it wouldn’t melt, why would it reduce the possibility of burning your food?

Plastic Oven is the latest use of the wonder synthetic. It offers considerable advantages for the housewife, chiefly in reducing possibility of burnt steaks, roasts, cakes, etc. Model shown is British.

August 18, 2009

Hedge Cutter Operated by Crank (Jul, 1931)

Filed under: Impractical — @ 8:49 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1931
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Hedge Cutter Operated by Crank
TIME and effort required to trim hedges is reduced to an absolute minimum by the use of a new hedge trimming device now available. The clipper is operated by turning a crank with the hands, as demonstrated in the photo above.

June 9, 2009

Page Mr. Chamberlain! (Feb, 1940)

Filed under: Impractical — @ 12:08 pm
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1940
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Page Mr. Chamberlain!
BRITAIN’S prime minister would undoubtedly be fascinated by this latest rainy-day gadget, which is called the “Umbrubber.” Made to protect the user against sudden showers that might spring up, the device has a special handle of plastic which contains a pair of light-weight rubbers. In the event that the user is one ‘of those people who won’t wear rubbers, no matter what the weather, the handle can be used as a container for cigars, cigarettes, candy, or cough medicine.

April 30, 2009

Balloons on Helmet Make Targets for Cavalry Combat (Jul, 1931)

Filed under: Impractical, War — @ 12:17 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1931
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Balloons on Helmet Make Targets for Cavalry Combat

PUNCTURING a balloon on the head of an opponent with the skillful thrust of a rapier is the unique means employed by cavalry students to score points when engaging in “armed combat” at Urban Military Academy at Beverly Hills, California. The balloons are tied to the helmets of the combatants, and the first fighter to burst the balloon of an “enemy” wins the encounter.

Although swordsmanship is a thing of the past, as far as modern warfare is concerned, this kind of practice is of service in teaching agility, alertness and horsemanship. The contest is a part of the training for the annual spring maneuvers of the academy.

April 6, 2009

Machine Reads Your Head Bumps (Jul, 1931)

Filed under: Impractical — @ 10:17 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1931
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Machine Reads Your Head Bumps
YOUR character read while you wait is the amazing feat performed by a new machine called the “Robot Phrenologist.” A cap equipped with a battery of fingers fits over the head and sends electrical impulses to a recording device, shown below.

March 1, 2009

Manpower Flight Greatest April Fool Joke (Jul, 1934)

Filed under: Aviation, Impractical — @ 11:32 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1934
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Manpower Flight Greatest April Fool Joke

PHOTOGRAPHS of a man flying through the air by his own power, the dream of scientists for centuries, completely fooled outstanding U. S. newspapers recently.

Captions on the photographs, coming from Germany, explained that Pilot Erich Kocher took off with a pair of rotor wings strapped to his chest. Kocher supposedly blew into a box which converted the carbon dioxide of his breath into fuel to operate the rotors. The turning rotors developed a vacuum ahead pulling the man through the air.
Read the rest of this entry »

Scientist’s New Theories May Aid in Forecasting Weather Conditions (Jun, 1930)

Filed under: Impractical — @ 11:28 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1930
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Scientist’s New Theories May Aid in Forecasting Weather Conditions

THEORIES which may explain the formation of the earth’s surface features, and eventually make it easy to predict both storms and earthquakes, have been evolved after years of research by Halbert P. Gillette, retired engineer and former instructor in science at Columbia University.
Read the rest of this entry »

January 13, 2009

PLAYGROUNDS IN THE SKY (Apr, 1957)

Filed under: Architecture, Impractical, Sports — @ 10:45 pm
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1957
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PLAYGROUNDS IN THE SKY

Here is MI’s hold plan to fight juvenile delinquency and get kids off the street.

THE scene is your city on a sticky, sweltering twilight in midsummer. Lights are beginning to wink on and kids are starting to gather in the streets after the evening meal.

A few years ago this was the danger hour in your city. You remember it well—the nightly muggings would begin about now and young girls would be afraid to venture out alone. Beatings were commonplace and gang wars, fiercely fought with knives and zip-guns, were a frequent occurrence. But things are different now. Read the rest of this entry »

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