Douglas Malewicki
Encyclopedia
Douglas Malewicki is an American aerospace engineer and inventor. Many of his inventions concern flying vehicles, but the range is quite diverse. He is also the concept creator and inventor of Skytran
PRT (Personal Rapid Transit
).
concept, an on-demand, personalized MagLev, suspended ultralight transit system, as well as advancing Personal Rapid Transit
(PRT) in general, especially suspended PRT. His ideas have inspired many variations to the PRT concept, including the Schweeb an amusement park ride, to be used as the prototype for a similar PRT concept adopted by Google
.
Douglas developed the 157 and 156-miles-per-gallon "California Commuter" cars that hold the Guinness fuel economy records for street-legal vehicles driven at freeway speeds—an example of green vehicles
.
He studied and developed various engineering solutions for Highly-aerodynamic Human-powered vehicles such as Recumbent bicycle
s.
The card games Nuclear War
and expansions ("Nuclear Proliferation", "Nuclear Escalation", and "Weapons of Mass Destruction").
An aeronautical engineer by training, Malewicki spent much of his career working for American aeronautics and space companies: the Apollo program moon landing vehicles, the Stealth bomber, and Cessna
aircraft including their first private jet airplane. He was a model rocket
enthusiast, becoming famous early in his career for the Malewicki Equations
that predicted the altitude and coast time of a model rocket flight.
According to Malewicki's daughter, he was the inspiration for the original one eyed monster, called Mike on Peewee's Playhouse TV show, and later to become the inspiration for Mike Wazowski drawn by Ricky Nierva in Monsters Inc.. A copy of the game plans in which he drew the first image of this alien is distributed free.
websites often criticize Malewicki for showing a concept as a finished product. He has been criticized by them that he is at a conflict of interest between his advising at Carbon Angel and his work on Skytran as CEO of his company Aerovisions Inc.
Several attempts at advancing the Skytran concept have failed in the past, including a name and team change. An attempt by business people to take the Skytran name from Douglas failed, but the website was changed from .com to .net. A company run by volunteers advancing the concept has been established called Unimodal.
SkyTran
SkyTran is a patented Personal Rapid Transit system first proposed by inventor Douglas Malewicki in 1990, and under development by Unimodal Inc. Lightweight two-passenger vehicles suspended from elevated passive magnetic levitation tracks are expected to achieve the equivalent of over 200 miles per...
PRT (Personal Rapid Transit
Personal rapid transit
Personal rapid transit , also called podcar, is a public transportation mode featuring small automated vehicles operating on a network of specially built guide ways...
).
Green vehicles
Douglas spent the past 20 years advancing the SkytranSkyTran
SkyTran is a patented Personal Rapid Transit system first proposed by inventor Douglas Malewicki in 1990, and under development by Unimodal Inc. Lightweight two-passenger vehicles suspended from elevated passive magnetic levitation tracks are expected to achieve the equivalent of over 200 miles per...
concept, an on-demand, personalized MagLev, suspended ultralight transit system, as well as advancing Personal Rapid Transit
Personal rapid transit
Personal rapid transit , also called podcar, is a public transportation mode featuring small automated vehicles operating on a network of specially built guide ways...
(PRT) in general, especially suspended PRT. His ideas have inspired many variations to the PRT concept, including the Schweeb an amusement park ride, to be used as the prototype for a similar PRT concept adopted by Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
.
Douglas developed the 157 and 156-miles-per-gallon "California Commuter" cars that hold the Guinness fuel economy records for street-legal vehicles driven at freeway speeds—an example of green vehicles
Green vehicles
Green vehicles may refer to:* Green Vehicles Inc., maker of the Triac * Green vehicle...
.
He studied and developed various engineering solutions for Highly-aerodynamic Human-powered vehicles such as Recumbent bicycle
Recumbent bicycle
A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...
s.
Un-green vehicles
Douglas developed the following vehicles and rides:- RobosaurusRobosaurusRobosaurus is a transforming dinosaur robot created by inventor Doug Malewicki in 1989 and is currently owned and operated by Monster Robots, Inc. Robosaurus is modeled after Transformers toys with the driver sitting in the head of the robot, and the ability to transform from a 48-foot semi trailer...
, a 40-foot Tyrannosaurus rexTyrannosaurusTyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
-inspired "entertainment robot" that bites cars and airplanes in half at car shows. This thrill ride folds into a truck and can be driven between locations. It is featured in the movie Waking up in RenoWaking Up in RenoWaking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The screenplay by Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser focuses on two redneck couples taking a road trip from Little Rock to Reno to see a monster truck rally.-Plot:...
where it is intended to be used as a revenge tool, to consume an SUV about to be sold.
- The X-1 Skycycle, and Skycycle X-2Skycycle X-2Skycycle X-2 was a steam-powered rocket. An earlier prototype, the Skycycle X-1 designed by Doug Malewicki, and former USN engineer Robert Truax superficially resembled a motorcycle. The Skycycle X-2 was designed by Bob Truax, and ridden by Evel Knievel in his attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon...
rocket-powered motorcycle that daredevil Evel KnievelEvel KnievelEvel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
shot over the Snake River CanyonSnake River Canyon (Idaho)Snake River Canyon is a large canyon formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley region of southern Idaho. It is well known as the site of an unsuccessful 1974 attempt by Evel Knievel to jump it in the Skycycle X-2....
to test the viability of his Skycycle jump. (Malewicki's colleague Robert TruaxRobert TruaxCaptain Robert C. Truax was a rocket engineer in the United States Navy, and companies such as Aerojet and Truax Engineering, which he founded...
created the final design.)
- Engineering and design assistance of the rocketbelt, the RB-2000.
- The "Droid of Death" wing-morphing Unmanned Aerial VehicleUnmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
(UAV) developed and tested under contract from DARPA.
- Patented Kitecycle for stuntman/daredevil Bob CorrellBob CorrellBob "Crazy" Correll is a former daredevil and stuntman from Long Beach, California. According to his official biography from Balls, Unlimited, Inc., Correll has enjoyed a varied career racing motorcycles, drag cars, stock cars, and go-carts. He has also flown hang gliders, sail planes, powered...
who reached world record with it.
Other inventions and innovations
Douglas was also involved in the development and invention of the following:The card games Nuclear War
Nuclear War (card game)
Nuclear War is a card game designed by Douglas Malewicki, and originally published in 1965. It is currently published by Flying Buffalo, and has inspired several expansions...
and expansions ("Nuclear Proliferation", "Nuclear Escalation", and "Weapons of Mass Destruction").
An aeronautical engineer by training, Malewicki spent much of his career working for American aeronautics and space companies: the Apollo program moon landing vehicles, the Stealth bomber, and Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
aircraft including their first private jet airplane. He was a model rocket
Model rocket
A model rocket is a small rocket that is commonly advertised as being able to be launched by anybody, to, in general, low altitudes and recovered by a variety of means....
enthusiast, becoming famous early in his career for the Malewicki Equations
Malewicki Equations
The Malewicki Equations for Sub-sonic Endo-atmospheric Rocket Flight describe the maximum altitude and coast time of a vehicle such as a model rocket. Aerospace engineer and inventor Douglas Malewicki first published them as a technical report by the model rocket company Estes Industries in 1967....
that predicted the altitude and coast time of a model rocket flight.
According to Malewicki's daughter, he was the inspiration for the original one eyed monster, called Mike on Peewee's Playhouse TV show, and later to become the inspiration for Mike Wazowski drawn by Ricky Nierva in Monsters Inc.. A copy of the game plans in which he drew the first image of this alien is distributed free.
Criticism
Anti PRTPersonal rapid transit
Personal rapid transit , also called podcar, is a public transportation mode featuring small automated vehicles operating on a network of specially built guide ways...
websites often criticize Malewicki for showing a concept as a finished product. He has been criticized by them that he is at a conflict of interest between his advising at Carbon Angel and his work on Skytran as CEO of his company Aerovisions Inc.
Several attempts at advancing the Skytran concept have failed in the past, including a name and team change. An attempt by business people to take the Skytran name from Douglas failed, but the website was changed from .com to .net. A company run by volunteers advancing the concept has been established called Unimodal.
See also
- SkytranSkyTranSkyTran is a patented Personal Rapid Transit system first proposed by inventor Douglas Malewicki in 1990, and under development by Unimodal Inc. Lightweight two-passenger vehicles suspended from elevated passive magnetic levitation tracks are expected to achieve the equivalent of over 200 miles per...
and PRTPRT-Politics:*Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores, name of political parties in Argentina, Nicaragua and Peru*Partido Revolucionário dos Trabalhadores, a political party in Portugal... - RobosaurusRobosaurusRobosaurus is a transforming dinosaur robot created by inventor Doug Malewicki in 1989 and is currently owned and operated by Monster Robots, Inc. Robosaurus is modeled after Transformers toys with the driver sitting in the head of the robot, and the ability to transform from a 48-foot semi trailer...
- Malewicki EquationsMalewicki EquationsThe Malewicki Equations for Sub-sonic Endo-atmospheric Rocket Flight describe the maximum altitude and coast time of a vehicle such as a model rocket. Aerospace engineer and inventor Douglas Malewicki first published them as a technical report by the model rocket company Estes Industries in 1967....
- Nuclear War (card game)Nuclear War (card game)Nuclear War is a card game designed by Douglas Malewicki, and originally published in 1965. It is currently published by Flying Buffalo, and has inspired several expansions...
- Robert TruaxRobert TruaxCaptain Robert C. Truax was a rocket engineer in the United States Navy, and companies such as Aerojet and Truax Engineering, which he founded...
and Skycycle X-2Skycycle X-2Skycycle X-2 was a steam-powered rocket. An earlier prototype, the Skycycle X-1 designed by Doug Malewicki, and former USN engineer Robert Truax superficially resembled a motorcycle. The Skycycle X-2 was designed by Bob Truax, and ridden by Evel Knievel in his attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon... - The RB-2000 rocket belt.
- Bob CorrellBob CorrellBob "Crazy" Correll is a former daredevil and stuntman from Long Beach, California. According to his official biography from Balls, Unlimited, Inc., Correll has enjoyed a varied career racing motorcycles, drag cars, stock cars, and go-carts. He has also flown hang gliders, sail planes, powered...
stuntman
External Links
- Aerodynamics of human powered land vehicles Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
issue 240 (1978). - The Skytran website including bio
- Dougs blog and bio website - dedicated mainly to the RobosaurusRobosaurusRobosaurus is a transforming dinosaur robot created by inventor Doug Malewicki in 1989 and is currently owned and operated by Monster Robots, Inc. Robosaurus is modeled after Transformers toys with the driver sitting in the head of the robot, and the ability to transform from a 48-foot semi trailer...
- Collapsible cars - Episode of Junkyard Wars TV series
- Personal criticism on Malewicki along with criticism against his Skytran idea.
- image of young Doug Malewicki on the Evel's skycycle website (House of Evel, page 4).
