This B-17 Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine table is built from a decommissioned R-1820 engine – this is the motor that powered every wartime example of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers as well as countless other aircraft, armored vehicles, and tanks including the M4A6 Sherman and the M6 Heavy Tank.
The Wright R-1820 Cyclone first entered production in 1931, it’s a 9-cylinder radial engine that was loosely based on the Wright P-2 engine, and it was built under license in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25 and in Spain as the Hispano-Suiza 9V.
Over the course of its decades-long production run the R-1820 was developed into dozens of different engine specifications including diesel variants. The most powerful example was the R-1820-82WA which was capable of an eye-watering 1,525 hp.
Although there are still a considerable number of Wright R-1820 Cyclones in service, most of them have been retired, and a lucky few have been converted into functional art like this one. With a diameter of 1,600 mm (5′ 3″) and a height of 1,100 mm (3′ 7″) it’s not a diminutive piece of furniture, meaning it’d make an excellent centerpiece and an ideal beverage consumption platform in a suitably large drawing or billiard room.
The Cluster Bomb Drinks Cabinet is one of the more famous creations from Plane Industries, a firm that makes high-end furniture from decommissioned aircraft parts and munitions. Each drinks cabinet is made from a decommissioned (and obviously defused) BL755 cluster bomb originally designed and built by Hunting Engineering Ltd. for the Royal Air Force. The…
Peter Maier At the age of 20, Maier was one of the youngest designers ever hired by General Motors Corporation. After seeing Maier’s work at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, renowned automotive designer and VP of GM, Bill Mitchell, offered Maier a position for their 3-month Summer Program. Halfway through the program Maier was offered…
The Piloti 1923 Retro Limited Edition 24H Le Mans Driving Shoe has been designed to evoke the styling of the boots worn by legendary racing drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, and many others. Piloti named the boots after the year of the first running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,…
When the McLaren Racing Formula 1 Team blew this engine during a test session in the mid-70s there are few who would have believed it would be offered for sale in Paris over 40 years later as a €1,500+ coffee table and wine rack. Before its explosive demise, the Ford DFV 919 V8 F1 engine…
The Nexx XG200 Flat 6 is a modern helmet – with retro styling cues that’ll look right at home on a vintage motocross bike, a scrambler, or well-worn R 80 GS. Nexx is a European company that still makes all of their helmets in the EU with a strong focus on high build quality and…
The Lotus Elan is a British sports car with a cult following around the world, since it was first introduced it’s had an impact on the motoring world that can still be felt today almost 60 years later. Perhaps the greatest accolade the Elan ever received was when Formula 1 and supercar designer Gordon Murray…
