The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Streamlined Scooter With Hydraulic Motor


When I first saw the title of the article, from the April 1946 issue of Popular Science posted on Modern Mechnix, I thought the scooter had a gas turbine engine.  On reading further, the engine was a normal piston arrangement, and the "turbine drive" actually referred to the transmission.  Essentially, the engine drove hydraulic pumps filled with oil, and the oil turned the driving wheel.  Whether this arrangement was more efficient, I do not know, but I would definitely have one for the styling alone.

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