Turbine-powered oddities, No. 466: the see-through Kenworth-Boeing

The theoretical advantage to gas turbines, besides their ability to swallow up a wide range of fuels, is their relative lightness and compactness compared to other internal combustion engines (gasoline, diesel) of the same output. Boeing decided to illustrate that advantage with this press photo we recently scrounged up, dated April 10, 1950, showing one […]

Perks of the job

Spent the morning recently with Scott White of Orient, Ohio, who has an incredible Terraplane pickup that I photographed. Scott also owns White Aero Ltd. and specializes in the restoration of fabric-bodied aircraft, especially Boeing-Stearman biplanes such as the above 1944 PT-13, built to both Army and Navy specs for World War II pilot training. […]

Turbine-powered oddities, No. 467: American-LaFrance

Inspired by Jim Donnelly’s recent profile of Chrysler turbine pioneer George Huebner in the October 2010 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, Dave Collins thought we’d like to know about a very unique turbine-powered vehicle he personally had some experience with: a 1961 American-LaFrance pumper truck. Dave recalls that it was one of three that American-LaFrance […]