An intriguing concept, this 1921 balloon/rotor helicopter designed by French engineer Etienne Oehmichen failed to establish a trend (Popular Mechanics, July 1921, p. 255). His later designs dispensed with the air bag, and he went on to develop a prize winning machine that set a circuit flight record of 1 km. He did return to powered blimps in the 1930s, with his remote controlled Hélicostat.
A “Czecho-Slovakian” invention: the walking car. Popular Mechanics (July 1921, p. 249) reports that the vehicle, driven by “heel and toe walking action,” is stable on slick surfaces! Just the thing for a winter day.
For the VERY nervous traveler: the diving suit carpetbag! (Popular Mechanics, Nov. 1915). It looks like a Buster Keaton gag.
Escape pods–YEARS before Ellen Ripley! (Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1915). Offshore oil rigs use them today . . . but this was designed for the crews of locomotives.
Is your apartment dark and crowded? No problem! Just hang your baby out of the window–with one of these (Pop. Mech. April 1916):
This use of a camera obscura as an anti-aircraft sighting device is attributed to “a Peruvian inventor.” While similar devices were used to simulate bombing runs, this armed variant seems not to have been built (Popular Mechanics, April 1916).
Popular Mechanics (April 1916) is startled by Sikh soldiers’ use of the chakram. This seems to be the most modern account of its use, other than by Xena Warrior Princess.
The chakram hasn’t really developed a wide user base–it’s more of a niche weapon.
Surprisingly, this idea of a parachute-retarded golf ball–featured here in the June 1916 issue of Popular Mechanics–has popped up a number of times over the years:
While this 1916 “safety airplane” might be considered a forerunner of the V-22 Osprey, its combination of pivoting engine, seat, and wings was wildly unstable (Popular Mechanics, June 1916):
