Simviation Forums

Evening all

Just got a book on the history of the Douglas Propliners DC-1 to 7, excellent book by the way. I came across a bit of a poser when Donald Douglas built several models one of which was and I quote from the book. "Powered by a Whiling Wheel filled with Gun Powder" I've had a look on Google and can't find anything so can someone tell me what a Whiling Wheel is.

Cheers
A very perplexed Rich

Maybe he was joking about something like this -


BTW - Is anyone crazy enough to actually light something like that?

Think it was probably meant to be a "whirling" wheel. Maybe something like a pinwheel or a catherine wheel. Lots of take-off power, not a lot of endurance, I suspect.

My quest will continue, I'm beginning to think that it was typo.

Yep Colin Furze did light it up, he's complete nutter but very clever.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5Wzjk0-Xs[/youtube]

Cheers
Rich

Shadowcaster wrote:My quest will continue, I'm beginning to think that it was typo.

Yep Colin Furze did light it up, he's complete nutter but very clever.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5Wzjk0-Xs[/youtube]

Cheers
Rich

.... ... ... ...!

Certainly beats; "The Wicker Man".... ....!

Paul... ... ...!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917/

...you mean ¿This Wicker man?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikbMQ6_-ml8[/youtube]

By chance, did Mr. Douglas give the name of the Airplane Model in question, or did he just refer to it as a "Whirling Wheel"?

Just wondering...

Alan

I found this wiki article on the 'Gunpowder Engine' --> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_engine

No mention of Donald Douglas. I copied this from the section on "Paine and others" which seems to fit the description of a "whirling wheel".

Thomas Paine introduced an entirely new type of engine design, one that bore more resemblance to a water wheel than a conventional engine. In Paine's engine, a series of cup-like combustion chambers were arranged around a wheel. As the wheel turned, each cup received a small amount of gunpowder from a central container and was then lit.

Shadowcaster wrote:My quest will continue, I'm beginning to think that it was typo.

Yep Colin Furze did light it up, he's complete nutter but very clever.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5Wzjk0-Xs[/youtube]

Cheers
Rich

I'd like to have Colin living about two miles from my house. That would be quite close enough.

ViperPilot wrote:By chance, did Mr. Douglas give the name of the Airplane Model in question, or did he just refer to it as a "Whirling Wheel"?

Just wondering...

Alan

The book only said the Douglas built a number of model aeroplanes at least one of which was powered by this Whirling Wheel contraption.

Hagar wrote:I found this wiki article on the 'Gunpowder Engine' --> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_engine

No mention of Donald Douglas. I copied this from the section on "Paine and others" which seems to fit the description of a "whirling wheel".

Thomas Paine introduced an entirely new type of engine design, one that bore more resemblance to a water wheel than a conventional engine. In Paine's engine, a series of cup-like combustion chambers were arranged around a wheel. As the wheel turned, each cup received a small amount of gunpowder from a central container and was then lit.

Thanks for that Ican't believe that I looked at that Wiki page but didn't scroll down enough to see that reference, it's age creeping up on me.

Cheers
Rich