Museum of Useless Inventions

Grab the kids! We’re off with a 100HP engine at speeds of up to 150MPH!!! (Popular Mechanics, April 1921)

Parasol-radio antenna–with 110 feet of wire! (Popular Mechanics, May 1921)

n 1921, Argentinian inventor Raúl Pateras Pescara created this advanced helicopter with counter-rotating props–each made of SIX small biplane wings! The 1931 version looked considerably more modern (Popular Mechanics, April 1921).

The Caproni “Epocha” (Ca.60 Transaereo) boasted 8 400HP Liberty engines and 9 wings! It crashed during testing; designer Gianni Caproni commented, “The path of progress is strewn with suffering.” (Images: Popular Mechanics, May 1921)

This stylish inflatable batter’s helmet (Pop. Mech. May 1921) never caught on, possibly because it provided inadequate coverage. In fact, MLB only began requiring helmets in 1940!