Robert Condit’s Spacecraft

By Anupum Pant

In the year 1928, a resident of Baltimore, Robert Condit made plans to leave earth by making a blueprint for a spacecraft that would fit exactly one person, food tablets, water, and was planned to fly all the way to venus. Oh, for safety purposes it had a first-aid kit and a couple of silk parachutes too.

With the help of brothers Harry B. and Sterling Uhler, the 24 foot spacecraft was constructed. It looked like a over sized bullet and had 8 steel pipes (read engines) attached all around it. The inside of pipes each had a spark plug to burn sprayed gasoline and create a lift. It took them 8 months to complete Condit’s design.

50 gallons of gasoline was filled in it and it was aimed carefully towards venus. The target speed was 25000 miles per hour. That, as Condit estimated, would allow him to reach 40 miles above the earth and then it would be an easy journey ahead.

Unfortunately, the spacecraft didn’t leave ground, Robert left for Florida and was never seen again.

via [io9]

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