Stephen Balzer immigrated to the U.S. from Hungaria in the 1870s. He built several automobiles in the 1890s, and the head of the Smithsonian Institution, Samual P. Langley, became aware of his rotary engines such as seen in this 1904 patent. Langley commissioned Balzer to build a rotary engine for Langley's experimental aircraft. Balzer designed and built the engine, and Langley's assistant Charles Manly improved it quite a bit. The Smithsonian seems to have a problem giving credit where credit is due, and attributed the engine to Manly. They also were quite reluctant to credit the Wright brothers with the first controlled filght. Balzer contributed a working prototype of this four wheeled automobile to the Smithsonian, and his obituary included a claim to having invented the engine used by Langley.
Other early automobiles are in the automobile technology category.
It’s great that more people are focusing on making better environmental choices. Plus technology is making it more economical now, and that’s what people really notice. Wind energy, solar power, hybrids and zap EV’s, our choices are good. There are now electric cars being sold everyday, you just plug it into a regular power outlet. When people test drive them they say it’s far more fun to drive an EV.
Posted by: Web | March 24, 2008 at 05:26 PM
You know if Manly had not f@cked with the engine and under less hp then the wings may not have snapped and well Langley may have been the first to fly. Just goes to show do not seecond guess a Balzer.
-RA Balzer
Posted by: Rich Balzer | October 12, 2009 at 08:23 PM