PROPELLER CARS – Odd Approach to Earth-Bound Propulsion
Jeff Lane wanted a propeller-driven car for his museum. After a detailed search, he decided to have two replicas built of a 1919 Leyat Helico from original plans found after they were thought to have been lost.
Propellers proved to be an important development in the history of transportation. On ships, once steam power was mastered, propellers replaced oars and sails. A propeller attached to an internal combustion engine allowed the Wright brothers to make what is generally accepted as the first heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1902. Propellers have been used to propel everything from snowmobiles to air boats and bicycles, but it was probably airplanes that inspired the use of propellers on automobiles.
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