12.14.2005

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser

When today's snowstorm ends, Minnesotans will be buried under anywhere from five to 12 inches of snow. This would seem like the perfect vehicle for these conditions, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser. Well, sort of. When the cruiser was developed by Dr. Thomas C. Poulter for use in Antarctica in 1939, it didn't live up to expectations: the vehicle sank in the snow and it's wheels spun. To improve traction, they made a few modifications, including installing chains on the rear tires. Below, a scale model of one of the possible variations on the machine, which is also dubbed The Penguin.
(Via W-M-M-N-A.)

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