14 replies to this topic

[THead]

The product of the fertile imagination of a Professor E. J. Christie, this gyroscopic unicycle was supposedly capable
of speeds of up to 400 miles per hour, although at the time of an article from the April, 1923 issue of Popular Science,
it had yet to be tested. This monster was 14 feet tall, weighed 2,400 pounds and used what appears to us to be a
Curtiss OX-5 airplane engine for power. On The Old Motor as aways we have the whole story behind this monster with
plenty more of photos and details.

We are trying to find out if E. J. Christie was in anyway related to Walter Christie, they both seemed to "think outside
the box" so there may be a connection.

[Ray Bell]

He certainly had a fertile imagination!

Coming a cropper at any serious speed would have involved a lot of personal damage...

One thing that is strange, the orientation of the engine. Unless it needed to be mounted north-south for 'packaging' purposes, one would imagine its torque reaction would tend to be of concern.

[Lee Nicolle]

He certainly had a fertile imagination!

Coming a cropper at any serious speed would have involved a lot of personal damage...

One thing that is strange, the orientation of the engine. Unless it needed to be mounted north-south for 'packaging' purposes, one would imagine its torque reaction would tend to be of concern.

I agree 100%. Plus having that bloody great chain flapping around under your backside would be SCAREY.

[Allan Lupton]

Some of us know a man with an OX-5 engine - wonder if he'd consider a re-creation of Mr Christie's device.

[f1steveuk]

Reminds me a little of the "Dynosphere", equally odd looking thing. I wonder what the fascination with only having one wheel was!!

[Tim Murray]

Dr Geraint Owen, of 'Babs' fame, has built his own monowheel:

http://www.douglas-s...orwhl3.htm#owen

(The page starts with the Dynosphere as mentioned by Steve; scroll down the page for the Owen Monowheel)

[alansart]

The Edison-Puton Monocycle at Cholmondeley last year. His feet rarely left the ground!!

[Bloggsworth]

An emergency stop would be fun...

[Duc-Man]

Small monocycles seem to be fun.I've seen a couple things about them on the telly already.
My question is: how the heck is he gonna stop this thing without falling over? Putting a foot out like with a small one doesn't work here.

[THead]

Update: Mark Walker of the UK has identified the engine in the E. J. Christie’s machine and he has sent us photos and they do seem to match, the following is what has he found: I think the motor is a 700 c.i. Sturtevant V-8 (very distinctive exhausts). The Sturtevant Model 5A was rated at 210 hp at 2250 rpm and was capable of producing a maximum of 240 hp according to the entry in Aerosphere. Take a look at Walker’s Amazing V-8 1905 Darracq which was featured earlier on The Old Motor.

[BRG]

And the 21st Century equivalent of this must be that ludicrous Deltawing device. Amazing how some engineers can manage to persuade themselves that something so obviously wrong might be made to work!

[Duc-Man]

The difference between this thing and the deltawing is that the deltawing is actually working and it doesn't fall over when it slows down.
The deltawing needs some more time for development to be fully competetive though. It took Ford two years and quiet some dollars to get the GT40 to the top. The deltawing is a small independent project in comparison.

[f1steveuk]

The difference between this thing and the deltawing is that the deltawing is actually working and it doesn't fall over when it slows down.
The deltawing needs some more time for development to be fully competetive though. It took Ford two years and quiet some dollars to get the GT40 to the top. The deltawing is a small independent project in comparison.

Dan Gurney swears by the DeltaWing, I would assume he wouldn't be so keen on the DynoSphere!!!



The standard fault with this design, the "rocking" motion that develops (which has a name, which I can't recall!), still it is obviously quick, the speed it gets from Brooklands, to Pendine and back is astounding!!

Edited by f1steveuk, 11 April 2013 - 10:19.

[BRG]

The difference between this thing and the deltawing is that the deltawing is actually working and it doesn't fall over when it slows down.

Doesn't it?

[f1steveuk]

Doesn't it?

I think I would if I was hit like that as well!