Nikola Tesla's aeroplane dreams

[Stargazer]

Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, and futurist. He was an important contributor to the use of commercial electricity, and is best known for developing the modern alternating current (AC) electrical supply system. His many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were based on the theories of electromagnetic technology discovered by Michael Faraday. Tesla's patents and theoretical work also formed the basis of wireless communication and the radio. (source: Wikipedia)

Here is a series of paintings based on aviation-related projects that he envisioned (from the Serbian Aero Magazin):

• An ornithopter (1894)
• A helicopteroplane/convertiplane (1921)
• A jet aircraft (date unknown)

 

[BAROBA]

How would the jet have working?
Any ideas?

 

[shedofdread]

Well, he did invent a kind or turbine - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_turbine Can't imagine it being that efficient as a thrust producing device, though. It would still need to be driven by an engine of some sort and that would be far better connected to a prop or fan...

Tesla was certainly an interesting character.

 

[royabulgaf]

"Tesla was certainly an interesting characte"

To say the least. He was extremely bright. He also managed to alienate George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. He regarded not paying his hotel bills as a point of honor. Like Henry Ford, he went from eccentric to crackpot to dementia. Today, he would probably be diagnosed as a medium function Asperger's.

 

[bigvlada]

The man who invented the 20th century
Most of Tesla's inventions haven't been studied thoroughly. Wireless transfer of electricity is only the most prominent one. His medical device hasn't been touched since it was put on display in 1956. Some of the material is in serbocroatian only. The museum has a vast archive of documents, photographs and items. There was an exhibition a few weeks ago where some of the inventions like radio controlled boat from 1898 were presented.
Asperger's? The man was a showman in his younger days. He liked audience while conducting experiments. Mark Twain could have said a word of two about that. I won't repeat the anecdote about Edison and his twisted view of American humor. Westinghouse didn't like him because Tesla believed power should be free. From a businessman's point of view that sort of thinking was pure communism. Einstein and him simply had different opinions. Perhaps one other connection between them was the fact that Einstein's wife, Mileva Maric Einstein (mathematician) was also from Yugoslavia.
Check the photograph, all three (Charles Steinmetz was an mathematician and electrical engineer) look like they escaped from a freakshow.
You probably do not know this, but there was a proposal last year to build exact replica of Tesla's Wardencluffe tower in an island in the centre of Belgrade. The chances are good that the city's government will do this. It would be cool if we could send balls of lightning on Mars as he did. In any case, it will look great at night. B)

 

[bigvlada]

A book from 1987, Tesla and the world of aviation, by Branimir Jovanovic.

 

[bigvlada]

I have found the photocopies of Tesla's US patents for his flying machines mentioned above.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

also here is anther a project for 3600 mhp speed flying machine.

http://teslaresearch.jimdo.com/aerial-transportation/