This isn’t new, not by a long stretch, but I’ve only just found it. You may well be aware that Acme, based in the Jewellery Quarter invented the whistle. Or at least founder Joseph Hudson did, back in 1883.
So Acme make whistles. Millions of them a year. For everyone. That’s impressive.
Almost as impressive as this contraption – a two-man flying whistle called the Acme Meteor:
The idea was to drop it from 10.000 feet and have two parachutists pilot it around in a spiral. In the process it would break the world record for the loudest ever whistle.
That was back in 2003. I couldn’t work out whether anyone has ever flown it (and nor could Tom Whitwell when he looked at Acme). Given that there’s some doubt, I think we can assume it hasn’t happened.
I imagine they get a bit of stick over the company’s name, but when they make something that you could easily imagine Wil-E-Coyote riding to his doom then you’ve got to think they bring it on themselves. Which I think makes them even more wonderful.
Chris, probably worth mentioning that this fine ‘if a little bonkers’ contraption was created by Mark Renn and Mick Thacker – http://www.rennandthacker.com some years ago.
Their site which was built many many moons ago contains lots of examples of their other work, including the brilliant Shadow Runner – http://www.rennandthacker.com/shad_1.htm
Cheers.
Mark