A San Francisco start-up has
developed a car that could be a game changer for the auto industry. Lit
Motors' C-1 bridges the gap between a car and a motorcycle, providing
the safety of a car without the high ongoing costs of ownership. Because
the vehicle is electric, commuting costs are negligible: "You can get
to work and back for less than 50 cents a day,"
Hmmm looks neat enough.
Somebody Come and Play! Earn as You Learn, Grow as You Go!
Somebody Come and Play in "Traffic" with me. If you would like to "Join" A Growing Biz Op! Here is Your Chance to get in an Earn While You Learn to Do "The Thing" with us all here at Traffic Authority.
Hidden behind a house in Spanaway,
Washington, is one of the best privately owned collections of
motorcycles in the country. The collection includes a full set of
Harley-Davidson Knuckleheads.
Special
futures; long front fork legs, ride control,16"wheels, Front stand, rear
stand with sand pads, speedometer without trip meter, clutch release lever
with one hole, early type luggage rack, early type horn, civilian style
air cleaner, civilian style tail lamp, iron heads etc. http://milwaukeebelle.skyrock.com/1.html
Weitab vom sonstigen Harley-Davidson-Klischee mit verchromten
Motordeckeln und brüllenden Auspufftüten bewegt man sich mit diesem
Vehikel. Gilt es doch normalerweise als Biker zu glänzen, geht es hier
zuallererst darum, von der Stelle zu kommen.
So wie seinerzeit der
Cowboy auf der Ranch in Kansas, wo dieses Nutzfahrzeug mit ehemals
„truck registration" aus dem Schlaf gerissen wurde, kann sich dieser
Harley-Enthusiast auf sein Trike immer verlassen. Diese Maschine ist
unkaputtbar.
Hatten die Amerikaner seinerzeit auch der absoluten
Zuverlässigkeit ihrer Motorisierung wegen, Hitler-Deutschland von der
Braunen Pest befreit, taten die etwa 40.000 Servicar aus Milwaukee, für
den mobilen militärischen Vorwärtsdrang immer klaglos ihren Dienst.
Schön zu sehen, dass dieser Biker diesem „Schlachtross" sein wohlverdientes Gnadenbrot auch noch weiterhin garantiert.
I Can't read this But the Bike is Kicking and brings back a lot of fond memories of my Grandfathers Trike.
Bloodhound SSC (officially capitalised BLOODHOUND SSC, BLOODHOUND supersonic car) is a car created by the international education initiative Bloodhound Project (BLOODHOUND Project) to attempt a 1,000 mph world land speed record.
The team aim to break the land speed record with the pencil-shaped car, powered by a jet engine and a rocket designed to reach 1,000 miles per hour (1,609 km/h) together with a Cosworth CA2010 Formula 1V8 petrol engine auxiliary power unit.
It is being developed and built with the intention of breaking the land speed record by 33%, the largest ever margin.[1]
If £15 million of sponsorship funding is obtained the construction
should be complete by the end of 2012 and the record attempts should
take place in 2013 and 2014.[2]
BLOODHOUND SSC will be tested on the Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape, South
Africa where a track 20 km long, 500 m wide has been cleared by a local
workforce, employed by the Northern Cape Government.
Richard Noble, engineer, adventurer, and former paint salesman,[3] reached 633 mph (1,019 km/h) driving turbojet-powered car named Thrust2 across the Nevada desert in 1983. In 1997, he headed the project to build the ThrustSSC, driven by Andy Green, an RAF pilot, at 763 mph (1,228 km/h), thereby breaking the sound barrier, a record first for a land vehicle (in compliance with Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile rules).
The task of driving the Bloodhound will fall to Wing Commander
Green, who will lie feet-first in the Bloodhound SSC. As the car
accelerates from 0-1,000 miles per hour (1,609 km/h) in 42 seconds, he
will experience a force of approximately 2.5g (two-and-a-half times his body weight) and blood will rush to his head.
To slow the vehicle, Green will deploy air-brakes at 800 mph
(1,300 km/h), and subsequently parachutes at 600 mph (970 km/h), with
disc brakes used below 250 mph (400 km/h). As he decelerates,
experiencing forces of up to 3g, blood will drain to his feet, with a risk of driver blackout.
To condition his body for these intense g-forces, he will practice in a
stunt aircraft, flying upside-down over the British countryside.
Design
The project is based in the former Maritime Heritage Centre on the Bristol harbourside, located next to Brunel's SS Great Britain. This building has been renamed the Bloodhound Technical Centre (BLOODHOUND Technical Centre).[citation needed]
Aerodynamics
The College of Engineering at Swansea University
has been heavily involved in the aerodynamic shape of the vehicle from
the start. Professor Oubay Hassan, Professor Ken Morgan and their team
have used Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) in order to provide an understanding of the aerodynamic
characteristics of the proposed shape, at all speeds, including
predicting the likely vertical, lateral and drag forces on the vehicle
and its pitch and yaw stability.[4]
This technology, originally developed for the aerospace industry, was
validated for a land-going vehicle during the design of ThrustSSC. It
was this involvement with the previous land speed record that prompted
Richard Noble to approach Swansea in April 2007 to see if they could
help with this latest challenge.
Swansea University's School of the
Environment and Society was also enlisted to help determine a new test
site for the record as the test site for the ThrustSSC record attempt
has become unsuitable.[5]
Wheels
The four 36-inch (910 mm) diameter wheels will rotate at up to 10,200 rpm and will be forged from solid aluminium to resist the 50,000 gcentrifugal forces.[6]
Construction
Engineers produced the scale model which was exhibited at the launch,
and will integrate the engineering behind the car into its curriculum,
working with design team, led by Chief Engineer Mark Chapman. The car
will be built at a site in Bristol.[7]
The site will include an educational centre.[8] A full scale model was unveiled at the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow,[9] when it was announced that Hampson Industries
would begin to build the rear chassis section of the car in the first
quarter of 2011 and that a deal for the manufacture of the front of the
car was due.
Chief Engineer Mark Chapman says, "We aim to shake down the
vehicle on a runway in the UK at the beginning of 2013."
Full scale model
Education
The Bloodhound Project is first and foremost an education project
designed to inspire future generations to take up careers in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
by showcasing these subjects in the most exciting way possible.
The
education program covers all phases (ages) of education from primary
through to secondary and further education, plus Bloodhound@University.
Any school, teacher, youth group or home educated family in the world
can register their details on the BLOODHOUND SSC website and download
the free curriculum resource materials.
Education institutions in the UK
or South Africa can request a visit from a member of the Bloodhound
education team or STEM Ambassador who will work alongside a teacher and
deliver a presentation on the project.
There are also workshop
activities for schools with a focus on learners aged between 9 and 14
years of age and the reasons why Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape has
been selected to run BLOODHOUND SSC.
The Bloodhound education program
is also working with other STEM interventions and initiatives to ensure
the Project reaches as many schools as possible. These include F1 in
Schools (Bloodhound Class), the Smallpeice Trust, Primary Engineer,
Science Made Simple and Young Engineers.
Equinox Graphics is proud to present
the visualization of Bloodhound SSC, the trans-sonic rocket car aiming
to smash the current land speed record and raise it to a mind-bending
1000 mph (Mach 1.4).
The car is being designed and built in Britain, and
Equinox Graphics has had the privilege of working in association with
the design team to bring the car to life.
The minute-long viral video
was produced on time and at High Definition (1920x1080, 25fps, full
GI/radiosity) in just three weeks - including rendering time on our
computer cluster.
The animation has proved extremely popular with
the world's media, and has proved to be the ideal medium for engaging
the public's imagination. It has so far been featured on BBC news (TV
and online), and on stations as diverse as CNN and Al Jazeera.
More detail at www.bloodhoundssc.com and www.equinoxgraphics.net
On the 15th October 1997 Thrust SSC
became the first land vehicle to break the sound barrier. Piloted by
Wing Commander Andy Green of the RAF, an average speed of 763.035mph
over the flying mile was achieved
The music is from the game GTR2 and is called Spa 24hrs.
I've had a ton of emails asking for
more shots of the build and video of it running down the street. Here a
short clip to give you some idea of what we did to build this wild ride.
Its a mix of video and photos. Of course, there was ALOT more to it
than just what you see here. Enjoy!
The car made its public debut on 26 September 1957 at a press presentation staged in Monaco.[2] The ACMA directors ensured a good attendance from members of the press by also inviting three celebrity racing divers[3] to the Vespa 400 launch.[2]
The 400 was a two seater with room behind the seats to accommodate
luggage or two small children on an optional cushion. The front seats
were simple tubular metal frames with cloth upholstery on elastic
"springs" and between the seats were the handbrake, starter and choke.
The gear change was centrally floor mounted. The rear hinged doors were
coated on the inside with only a thin plastic lining attached to the
metal door panel skin allowing valuable extra internal space.
On the
early cars the main door windows did not open which attracted criticism,
but increased the usable width for the driver and passenger.
Instrumentation was very basic with only a speedometer and warning
lights for low fuel, main beam, dynamo charging and indicators.
The
cabriolet fabric roof could be rolled back from the windscreen header
rail to the top of the rear engine cover leaving conventional metal
sides above the doors.
The 12 volt battery was located at the front of
the car, behind the dummy front grill, on a shelf that could be slid
out. The spare wheel was stowed in a well under the passenger seat.[2]
Two cylinder,
two stroke, air cooled. Bore, stroke: 63 mm x 63 mm (393 cc). Motor
cyclists at the time were used to mixing oil into their fuel, but the
manufacturer belatedly realised that this might compromise the 400's
standing as a "car", and from the summer of 1958 "two stroke oil" was
held in separate reservoir with a semi-automatic dispenser on the right
side of the engine bay.[2]
Compression ratio
6.4:1 with 12 hp, later increased respectively to 6.6:1 and 14 hp.[2]
Suspension
Four wheel independent. Four double acting hydraulic shock absorbers with coil springs. Front anti-roll bar.
3 speed plus reverse, with 2nd & 3rd synchromesh. 4 speed available in non-U.S. markets.
Brakes
Hydraulically operated drums of 6.75 in (171 mm) diameter.
Performance
With only 18 hp (13 kW), top speed is 50 to 55 mph (80 to 90 km/h),
depending on road grade, wind conditions, etc. Achieving top speed takes
a leisurely 25 seconds. Fuel economy is about 5L/100KM.
The British Motor magazine tested a 400 de luxe saloon in 1959
recording a top speed of 51.8 mph (83.4 km/h) and acceleration from
0-40 mph (64 km/h) in 23.0 seconds and a fuel consumption of 55.3 miles
per imperial gallon (5.11 L/100 km; 46.0 mpg-US).
The test car cost 351,725 "old" French Francs,[1] usefully cheaper than the 374,000 "old" French Francs domestic market starting price quoted towards the end of 1958 for the cheapest version of the larger but (even) less powerful Citroen 2CV.[2]
The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera,
Italy—to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned
by Piaggio—now Europe's largest manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles
and the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer by unit sales.[1]
From their inception, Vespa scooters have been known for their
painted, pressed steel unibody which combines a complete cowling for the
engine (enclosing the engine mechanism and concealing dirt or grease), a
flat floorboard (providing foot protection), and a prominent front
fairing (providing wind protection) into a structural unit.
History
Post World War II Italy, in light of its agreement to cessation of war
activities with the Allies, had its aircraft industry severely
restricted in both capability and capacity.
Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera fighter plane plant
demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy and the disastrous
state of the roads did not assist in the re-development of the
automobile markets.
Enrico Piaggio,
the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the
aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for a modern
and affordable mode of transportation for the masses.
Concept
The inspiration for the design of the Vespa dates back to Pre-World War II Cushman scooters made in Nebraska, USA. These olive green scooters were in Italy in large numbers, ordered originally by Washington as field transport for the Paratroops and Marines.
Vespa 150 TAP, modified by the French military, that incorporated an anti tank weapon
Design
In 1944, Piaggio engineers Renzo Spolti and Vittorio Casini designed a
motorcycle with bodywork fully enclosing the drivetrain and forming a
tall splash guard at the front. In addition to the bodywork, the design
included handlebar-mounted controls, forced air cooling, wheels of small
diameter, and a tall central section that had to be straddled.
Officially known as the MP5 ("Moto Piaggio no. 5"), the prototype was
nicknamed "Paperino" (either 'duckling' or Donald Duck in Italian).[2]
Piaggio MP5 "Paperino", the initial Piaggio prototype
Enrico Piaggio was displeased with the MP5, especially the tall central section. He contracted aeronautical engineerCorradino D'Ascanio, to redesign the scooter.[2]
D'Ascanio, who had earlier been consulted by Ferdinando Innocenti
about scooter design and manufacture, made it immediately known that he
hated motorcycles, believing them to be bulky, dirty, and unreliable.[3]
D'Ascanio's MP6 prototype had its engine mounted beside the rear
wheel. The wheel was driven directly from the transmission, eliminating
the drive chain and the oil and dirt associated with it. The prototype
had a unit spar frame with stress-bearing steel outer panels.[3]
These changes allowed the MP6 to have a step-through design without a
centre section like that of the MP5 Paperino. The MP6 design also
included a single sided front suspension, interchangeable front and rear
wheels mounted on stub axles, and a spare wheel. Other features of the
MP6 were similar to those on the Paperino, including the
handlebar-mounted controls and the enclosed bodywork with the tall front
splash guard.[2]
Upon seeing the MP6 for the first time Enrico Piaggio exclaimed:
"Sembra una vespa!" ("It resembles a wasp!") Piaggio effectively named
his new scooter on the spot.[3][4]Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived
from the vehicle's body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the
front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae. The name also refers to the high-pitched noise of the two-stroke engine.[citation needed]
Product
On 23 April 1946, at 12 o'clock in the central office for inventions, models and makes of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Florence,
Piaggio e C. S.p.A. took out a patent for a "motorcycle of a rational
complexity of organs and elements combined with a frame with mudguards
and a casing covering the whole mechanical part".[5]
The basic patented design allowed a series of features to be deployed
on the spar-frame which would later allow quick development of new
models. The original Vespa featured a rear pillion
seat for a passenger, or optionally a storage compartment.
The original
front protection "shield" was a flat piece of aero metal; later this
developed in to a twin skin to allow additional storage behind the front
shield, similar to the glove compartment in a car. The fuel cap was
located underneath the (hinged) seat, which saved the cost of an
additional lock on the fuel cap or need for additional metal work on the
smooth skin.
The scooter had rigid rear suspension and small 8-inch (200 mm)
wheels that allowed a compact design and plenty of room for the rider's
legs.
The Vespa's enclosed, horizontally-mounted two-stroke 98 cc engine acted directly on the rear drive wheel through a three-speed transmission. The twistgrip-controlled
gear change involved a system of rods. The early engine had no cooling,
but fan blades were soon attached to the flywheel (otherwise known as
the magneto, which houses the points and generates electricity for the
bike and for the engine's spark) to push air over the cylinder's cooling
fins.
The modern Vespa engine is still cooled this way. The mixture of
two-stroke oil in the fuel produced high amounts of smoke, and the
engine made a high buzzing sound like a wasp.[citation needed]
The MP6 prototype had large grilles on the front and rear of the rear
fender covering the engine. This was done to allow air in to cool the
engine, as the prototype did not have fan cooling. A cooling fan similar
to that used on the MP5 "Paperino" prototype was included in the design
of the production Vespa, and the grilles were removed from the fender.[2]
Piaggio filed a patent for the Vespa scooter design in April 1946.
The application documents referred to a "model of a practical nature"
for a "motorcycle with rationally placed parts and elements with a frame
combining with mudguards and engine-cowling covering all working
parts", of which "the whole constitutes a rational, comfortable
motorcycle offering protection from mud and dust without jeopardizing
requirements of appearance and elegance".
The patent was approved the
following December.
The first 13 examples appeared in spring 1946, and reveal their
aeronautical background. In the first examples, one can recognize the
typical aircraft technology. Attention to aerodynamics is evident in all
the design, in particular on the tail. It was also one of the first
vehicles to use monocoque construction (where the body is an integral
part of the chassis).
The company was aiming to manufacture the new Vespa in large numbers,
and their longstanding industrial experience led to an efficient Ford-style
volume production line.
The scooter was presented to the press at Rome
Golf Club, where journalists were apparently mystified by the strange,
pastel coloured, toy-like object on display. But the road tests were
encouraging, and even with no rear suspension the machine was more
manoeuvrable and comfortable to ride than a traditional motorcycle.
Following its public debut at the 1946 Milan Fair, the first fifty
sold slowly—then with the introduction of payment by installments, sales
took off.
There is Tons more Info on the Vespa and its History at Wikipedia.org Check it Out!
