The more I do research for Project Streetliner, the more I’m confronted with other designers and engineers who have thought a lot of the same thoughts I have. I think that’s fantastic! It reminds me of how much the Wright brothers relied on Otto Lilienthal’s early work, and how they saw what brilliant folks like Alexander Graham Bell were doing completely wrong in their approach. Granted, I’m not really trying to do anything new here. What makes this a unique undertaking in today’s world, at least I think, is that I want to build it myself. I’m not waiting for “the market” to provide it for me. How often have we wanted something to be available, but nobody makes it? What’s truly stopping us from making it ourselves besides our own apathy? Maybe I’m completely daft for thinking I can accomplish this, but I don’t think so. If two bicycle mechanics in Dayton Ohio can fly using nothing but wood, canvas and balls then I can build my goofy little commuter vehicle. I won’t even need to build a wind tunnel.
