Those Wacky Victorian Flying Machines
Throughout my research into the history of flight and flying machines, I’ve come across a few examples that I cannot find any description or context for. I’m calling them Victorian because they’re illustrated in a similar style to that time period, but I’ve been unable to date them with any certainty. If anyone has any information about these contraptions or their creators, please let me know!
They range from intriguing to downright wacky. Take the above image, for example. It’s most likely a spoof of a flying machine, rather than an actual proposal. It has a space-monkey vibe, as if the guy was strapped in against his will and thrown off a cliff. His facial expression is a mixture of terror and awe, which is fitting, considering his situation. He also has no means to control the machine, which makes him a passenger rather than a pilot, and pushes it further outside the realm of believable. I suspect this was less of a flying machine and more of an evocative image, meant to convey a sense of helplessness for its poor passenger.
The next two are helicopter-like machines, with pilots who look completely aloof to them. The mechanics are simple enough to understand, which makes them the most believable of the bunch. This isn’t to say they’d get off the ground, but it’s clear that the creators spent some time thinking about the designs and how they function.
Next up, we have a bird-suit. It’s a simple design of two wings and a tail, and the artist even saw fit to give his pilot a helmet, unlike the others. This is a smart move, since the design would probably do much more falling than actual flying.
Lastly, we have the most imaginative one, which is part dirigible, part airship, part helicopter, and part prop plane. For some reason, I love the two passengers with their top hats and relaxed postures, as if they’re out for a stroll about town. In reality, they’d be blasted with a whirlwind of air and those top hats would be flying off their heads, since there’s three propellers pointed straight at them.
These images are most likely works of fiction and not real proposals for flying machines, but I’m still curious to know the story behind each of them. As mentioned above, please let me know if you have any insights into where they came from!
Read more about other ideas for flying machines here.