Laid-Off NASA Workers Build Rocket-Inspired Tr->
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RedEaredSlider
RedEaredSlider writes "An entrepreneur decided to make use of the talents of laid-off NASA workers to build a new kind of three-wheeler.
Ray Ackley ran into a group of about 15 NASA engineers that were looking for some work to do on the side, since they knew they might well lose their jobs once the Shuttle program was cancelled.
The Emerging Growth Institute, a nonprofit that works with emerging technology companies, and Ackley got together with the engineers and said they should design a frame for a vehicle — a three-wheeled one. They called it the Treycycle and formed a company, Treycycle Gold, to mass-produce it.
Besides having three wheels, there are some new wrinkles to the design. The frame is molybdenum alloy, offering a lot more strength and rigidity than one would have on a typical motorcycle. The engine is an off-the-shelf Chrysler model. Welding is done by putting the frame in a kind of truss that allows for putting together the joints all at once, rather than piecemeal."
Link to Original Source
Ray Ackley ran into a group of about 15 NASA engineers that were looking for some work to do on the side, since they knew they might well lose their jobs once the Shuttle program was cancelled.
The Emerging Growth Institute, a nonprofit that works with emerging technology companies, and Ackley got together with the engineers and said they should design a frame for a vehicle — a three-wheeled one. They called it the Treycycle and formed a company, Treycycle Gold, to mass-produce it.
Besides having three wheels, there are some new wrinkles to the design. The frame is molybdenum alloy, offering a lot more strength and rigidity than one would have on a typical motorcycle. The engine is an off-the-shelf Chrysler model. Welding is done by putting the frame in a kind of truss that allows for putting together the joints all at once, rather than piecemeal."
Link to Original Source
