Dymaxion Car by themindseye 3d model
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Dymaxion Car by themindseye

Dymaxion Car by themindseye

by Thingiverse
Last crawled date: 3 years ago
Dymaxion Car
A car for the future from the past. This car, named Dymaxion (pronounced like die-may-shun), was designed by legendary geodesic dome guy R. (Richard) Buckminister Fuller. There were three important modern-day innovations that were incorporated into the Dymaxion car:
Front wheel drive
Aerodynamic design
Fuel efficiency
Although this vehicle was designed for transportation, it was originally conceived as a concept car and, as such, only three prototypes were built. This novelty factor didn't prevent Fuller from including this car design under his Dymaxion umbrella. The term, "Dymaxion," was used by Fuller to define his design philosophy of "doing more with less" or, more specifically a dynamic, maximum, tension. Maybe a more descriptive understanding of the Dymaxion car concept can be derived from the term that Fuller coined for his younger daughter: a "zoomobile."
Built in 1933 at the 4D Dymaxion Corporation Bridgeport, Connecticut factory from steel, aluminum, wood, and canvas, this initial prototype was finished in an astonishing three months. This model, labeled prototype #1, was used as a demonstration "proof of concept" vehicle for soliciting marketing rights from conventional automobile manufacturers. This ploy worked and the Dymaxion car received considerable interest from Walter Chrysler. Unfortunately, friction from dealers and financial institutions forced Chrysler to withdraw his support.
You might have noticed that the Dymaxion car's construction bears a strong resemblance to an aeroplane. The answer is that Fuller originally intended for the Dymaxion car to be a "land/air vehicle"--a flying car. Or, as Fuller claimed, "...wheels for the ground and jet stilts [sic] for instant takeoff and flight." This description features yet another Fuller first, promoting jet-powered flight before the jet engine had been invented.
Fuller filed and received a patent for the Dymaxion car. The model detailed in his patent application became prototype #2. Further refinements of the patented model resulted in the third and final car dubbed prototype #3. Oddly enough, Fuller wasn't enamored with the car concept and he dissolved the 4D Dymaxion Corporation, sold the three prototypes and claimed that 4D Dymaxion Corporation wasn't ever going to become a commercial automobile company.
Just like Fuller's fickleness, each of the Dymaxion cars succumbed to a odd fate. Prototype #1 was featured at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, was involved in a fatal car accident, and was presumed destroyed in a fire at the U.S. Bureau of Standards garage in Washington, D.C. Similarly, Prototype #3 was sold and bought by various investors and was eventually lost--a mystery that still hasn't been satisfyingly solved. Luckily, Prototype #2 was salvaged from fate and is currently on display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
The Model
The build of the Dymaxion Car consists of 54 parts; one of these parts is a building block that is used as a jig for assembling some of the parts. A fully assembled Dymaxion Car model is an exploded or X-Ray model. In other words, the body is removable for viewing/displaying the interior. This is a roughly 1/48 scale model replica of the Dymaxion car. There are several photographs and drawings that will help guide you through the assembly process. Testors Cement for Plastic Models (No. 3512) is recommended for gluing the parts together.
Reference
Buckminister Fuller Institute - https://www.bfi.org

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