Wednesday, May 10, 2023

French Style and Engineering

 


15 comments:

  1. The smaller one is protected by the Frog office of Terminix...wooden chassis, you know.

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    1. Don't think it had a wooden chassis but did have a fibreglass roof.

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    2. Terminx protection against termites? Hahah that's funny. I've sued their ass in 2 different states for not repairing damage caused by their crappy protection.

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    3. Aluminium bonnet as well. I owned one in a previous life. My father got his garage back when I got married and moved out. Despite my experience with a worn out one they are way cool. That one is at max height.

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  2. My god the French really produced some ugly frickin' cars!

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  3. Well, de Gaulle's snout was used as the inspiration for it, so......

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  4. The initial concept and most of the engineering, including the droop nose, was British. The British began studying the feasibility of an SST in the mid '50s. Somehow Aerospatiale 'acquired' that study in the early '60s and then asked British Aircraft Corporation if they would like to form a joint venture that later evolved into Airbus. There were two assembly lines, one in England and one in France.
    Al_in_Ottawa

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    1. Yep the Brits essentially exported their aviation industry to Europe

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  5. Watch Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Gary Oldman. At the airport, when the car comes rolling in fast, you can see the whole car lift when he stops. It doesn't bounce around at all. I keep intending to look up how the suspension works. I bet it's some kind of torsion arrangement.

    Also, watch Sir Alec Guiness in TTSP from the late 70's. That is one amazing series. Fleshes everything out very well. Then watch Smiley's People. Another very good series, the end of the story of Karla. I think they are all on YT now.

    https://youtu.be/e8NgzjkVvj4

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    1. It has a hydraulic suspension. Here's a Jay Leno's Garage video on the DS:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzW_ERSgFRY

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    2. Cool! Thanks man.

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  6. I loved the DS that was used in the movie Wasabi, starring Jean Reno.

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  7. There is little more civilized than flying NY-London in 2 hours' time.

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