This BBC documentary, titled “To Mars By A-Bomb – The Secret History of Project Orion“, is one of the most fascinating 60 minute films I’ve seen so far this year. It tells the story of Project Orion, an incredible Cold War project to launch a 10,000 tonne spacecraft into space by setting off small yield nuclear bombs underneath it.
It sounds like science fiction but in the late 1950s, this was a serious program run by NASA, and it came a lot closer to happening than many people realise. The project was run by George Dyson who features heavily in this documentary, telling the history of the still partially classified NASA program in his own words.
If you like this sort of thing I suggest you grab a strong cup of coffee and hit play, you’ll be glad you did.
Kevin Fitzke runs Fitzke Paddleboards out of a one-man workshop in Minnesota, each of his creations are handmade in very limited numbers – and as a result you’re very unlikely to bump into anyone else on shore with the same board. The Bootlegger is named after the legendary Baby Bootlegger speedboat, a 1920s era racing…
A Spark In Time On The Firing Line is a 1962 film about automobile ignition systems and spark timing, it was produced for Champion by Portafilms, and they made sure to present it in such a way that it’d be understandable to anyone – not just electrical whizzes. Even the most ardent car nuts are…
The Lister Costin Chevrolet represented a new direction for the small British car maker, its slippery body was designed by aerodynamicist Frank Costin, a former engineer at the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Costin was one of the leading minds at adapting aircraft aerodynamics to racing cars, and in 1954 he was contracted by his brother Mike…
The Tahquitz Pack is a new take on and age-old design – the backpack. It’s been developed using an outer shell of blended 400D Cordura nylon, with waterproof YKK zippers, and a PU coating for long-lasting water resistance. Internally there’s a laptop sleeve that doubles as a hydration reservoir pouch, a hidden stretch pocket on…
The Dodge Super Bee was named for the platform it’s based on – the Chrysler “B” platform that it shared with a number of other iconic American cars including the Plymouth Road Runner and the Chrysler 300. A Brief History of the Original Dodge 440 Six Pack Super Bees The incredible success of the Road…
Eagle was founded in England in 1984 with a sole focus on the Jaguar E-Type – both classic restorations and preparing cars for competition. In 1989, company founder Henry Pearman and co-driver Gordon Cruickshank took part in the Pirelli Classic Marathon, taking on Pirelli’s “Famous Five” of Stirling Moss, Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Makinen, Roger Clark…
