Valier-Lippisch Vehicle 2 - 1/43 resin auto miniature

[jzichek]

For collectors of 1/43 auto miniatures, the manufacturer Bizarre has produced the Valier-Lippisch Vehicle 2, a concept from a 1928 German patent authored by Alexander Lippisch, famous for his development of the delta wing and tailless aircraft, and Max Valier, rocket pioneer and daredevil. This resin miniature is based on my artwork from Streamlined Dreams and can be purchased from Grand Prix Models and other specialty shops; my understanding is that only a few hundred have been produced, so if this is of interest to you, snap one up before they are sold out!

 

[Foo Fighter]

Is there any information on this fascinating vehicle please?

 

[jzichek]

Is there any information on this fascinating vehicle please?

Foo Fighter, I've attached the original patent the vehicle is based on. If you can read German, it explains the principles behind the design in great detail. Basically, the winged surfaces were incorporated to create down force and keep the vehicle from losing control and going airborne at high speeds. For 1928, this was rather advanced thinking. If you want to find about the assumptions that went into the CG reconstruction of the design, those can be found in my book Streamlined Dreams.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Thank you, Sir. Much appreciated, it looks like a fascinating motor.

 

[Kevin Renner]

With some of the incredibly high horsepower 4 or 6 inline cylinder engines* available now this looks like something one could chase after class records in Land Speed Racing. The current LSR for wheel driven piston engines vehicles is approaching the top speeds of WW2 fighters.

Speed Demon smashes land speed record

American team hits 450mph on the way to establishing a new piston engined Wheel Driven land speed record at Bonneville, the team now has its sights firmly set on the 500mph barrier.

www.racecar-engineering.com

For gas turbine wheel driven vehicles it is over 500 mph

Turbinator II Race Car Hits 503 MPH at Bonneville Salt Flats | Digital Trends

The Turbinator II is a four-wheel drive streamliner powered by a 5,000-horsepower helicopter engine, and it just achieved 503.332 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. That's an unofficial record for a wheel-driven car. Turbinator II's creators have been trying to surpass 500 mph for 20 years.

www.digitaltrends.com

Actually this Reminds me a little of the earlier Stutz Blackhawk. Courtesy of Old Machine Press

Lockhart Stutz Black Hawk LSR Car

In 1928, Frank Lockhart built a land speed record car known as the Stutz Black Hawk Special. The car achieved record-setting speeds, but was destroyed in a crash that killed Lockhart.

oldmachinepress.com

*There are some 2JZ based engines pushing over 2000 hp. There are 4 cylinder engines running reliably at 1500 hp. Reliably enough for this that is

 

[jzichek]

I depicted the car as rocket-powered (in the tradition of Valier's earlier experimental vehicles), but I believe the patent mentioned that more traditional internal combustion engines could also be used.

Perhaps someone could persuade a wealthy gentleman like Norman Foster to build a full-scale version of the car? He had a nice replica of the Dymaxion built several years ago.