Re: Paxton Phoenix Steam Car
Posted by:
Jim Crank (IP Logged)
Date: September 03, 2002 02:14PM
<HTML>Terry & Myron,
The film was shown at a SACA meet around 1962 or so in Southern CA, when Jim Dooley gave us a fantastic talk about the car, and the problems of working with the Imperial Abner Doble. Don't know what happened to it.
That melt down was in the dyno room, trying to run at 1100°F, another one of Abner's delusions. Blew out the fluorescent lamps and the suits were all jammed in the doorway trying to get out at once. Mack Sennett style.
The powerplant was supposed to have been sold or given to the Navy at the Point Mague (sp?) facility. Supposed to be classified, like the present "national security" B..S.. they use all the time when they don't want to answer.
Actually was supposed to have been used in a sneaky landing craft for the SEALS, from one source I had.
The Phoenix project is best forgotten. The Ultimax engine, while a clever design, was just another example of Abner trying out his ideas with other people's money. Just think about the packing gland between the crossheads and the pistons being totally inaccessable, unless you take the whole engine apart.
Jim</HTML>