Car Identification

[Barry]

Did anyone find out what this car might be?  And the red one?

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

The top one was one in a series of prototype designs made by a German guy called Gottlob Espenlaub.

More info and pictures here

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Espenlaub%20Experimental.htm
http://reservatory6.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/espenlaub.html

The second one is a hand-coloured picture of a Nami-450 Belka, a prototype from the factory that made Ural motorbikes


[url]http://om911.com/the-soviet-automobiles-which-have-never-been-produced.html]http://www.flickr.com/photos/67331613@N02/8082475137//url]
[url]http://om911.com/the-soviet-automobiles-which-have-never-been-produced.html

[Barry]

Thanks, This is really interesting.  I had a message on Facebook (Bubbles Micros and scooters) from Pete in Finland, asking what the first car was.  You have given the complete answer.

[marcus]

Thanks for those great links! Lippisch's work culminated in the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket powered interceptor, reckoned to be the most dangerous place to be in WW2 as it killed more of its pilots than enemies!

I must admit though that I get really irritated when historical events are described in the present tense!

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

It appears that the link to the Nami Squirrel isn't working, here's some other pages with more pictures (in Russian)

http://avtolubitel.at.ua/index/imz_nami_a50/0-44

http://denisovets.narod.ru/nami/namipages/imz-nami-a50.html

[Big Al]

Thanks for those great links! Lippisch's work culminated in the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket powered interceptor, reckoned to be the most dangerous place to be in WW2 as it killed more of its pilots than enemies!

I must admit though that I get really irritated when historical events are described in the present tense!

'OK men. You have a choice when flying your Komet. The fuel is unstable and pron to breach its tanks. If it leaks into the cockpit it will dissolve you slowly. However should you ditch the plane before all the fuel is consumed it is likely that the shock of landing on the skid supplied... Sorry Hans? No the undercarriage falls off when you take off. If it does not you will crash, you see. Anyway, this skid you land on is positioned in such a way that a hard landing can break your back. Even if it does not and there is fuel left the remaining combustibles will explode destroying the aircraft. So even if you are dissolving you need to be pretty gentle on the controls near the ground. The main defence of this aircraft is speed, which the defensive gunners will be unable to traverse fast enough to follow. The ineffective deflection fire means you will be perfectly safe. We've thought of everything.
You do this for the Fatherland and the Fuhrer! The four minute average flying time will frighten the life out of the American bomber formations! Now go out and do your duty and we will smoke you some kippers for breakfast when you get back (on Kurt's Komet that landed just now. Its what he would have wanted)'

[AndrewG]

....on Kurt's Komet that landed just now. Its what he would have wanted.....

Reminds me of the speech given by Tony Hancock as the test pilot before first take-off of the new jet:
"If I don't make it back, melt down all my medals and build another one."