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SOLVED: WTH # 578 - 1942 Bowker Electric Car w propeller-driven generator

Started by sixtee5cuda, August 12, 2018, 11:50:05 AM

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sixtee5cuda

For one point, describe the year and make of this tiny, blurry old car

sixtee5cuda

Up!

Do the Experts know this one?

kwgibbs

looks like a one-off?

sixtee5cuda

I believe it is a one-off.  The builder did make at least one other car, previously pictured here in a group puzzle.

kwgibbs


sixtee5cuda

Not from the Americas

kwgibbs


sixtee5cuda

Not from Britain or Europe

kwgibbs


sixtee5cuda


kwgibbs


sixtee5cuda

Yes, this car is from Australia.

kwgibbs

was it a flying car one-off?

sixtee5cuda

Not a flying car.  The propeller is not designed to pull the car along.

richard cuyler

Bloke in bowler hat: "S'truth mate, that prop ain't gonna be better than windscreen woipers, no matta what y'say and the whole bloody caaar's made of caaardboard! Whatta you thinkin', mate?!"

D-type

Duncan Rollo

The more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

sixtee5cuda

Not a snow blower.  I understand Australia doesn't see a lot of snow.

sixtee5cuda

Up!

Time for the Professionals to figure this one out.

oko94

Is the propeller used as a wind turbine ?

sixtee5cuda

The propeller is described as being attached to a generator.  In "theory", it generates energy when the vehicle is slowing down.

Paul Jaray

That's one of the 2 Bowker cars.
Built by John E. Bowker from Carnegie, Victoria in 1942

sixtee5cuda

And the point goes to Paul Jaray.  The Bowker cars are interesting.  The other Bowker car actually appears in a YouTube video, driving around Victoria.

Original image showing both cars:

Allan L

I thought it was going to turn out to be a perpetual motion job - wind of passage drives wind turbine which powers motor to drive it through the air to drive the wind turbine.
Almost as strange in the description as the normal and efficient way to store surplus kinetic energy is a simple generator driven by the wheels - i.e. the traction motor used as a generator. Used on electric trams since the first years of last century!
Opinionated but sometimes wrong