Who invented Scalextric? Was it the first electric race car set?

QUESTION Who invented Scalextric? Was it the archetypal electrical contention car set?

In 1912, New York toymaker Lionel Co. launched the archetypal electrical slot car racing set, featuring dense tinplate cars, miniature drivers and a two-lane track. About 1,200 sets were produced by 1916.

Lionel had pioneered electrical locomotive toys, producing its archetypal train, the Electric Express, backmost successful 1900.

There is grounds of electrical way cars that predate the Lionel version, though these were not existent slot cars, i.e. powered miniature cars guided by a groove oregon slot successful the track. 

These were connected to a raised obstruction and had lone a azygous track. 

A 1904 German catalogue for Marklin toys featured photographs of this strategy and determination was a 1908 mentation by the French shaper Brianne. Unfortunately, neither of these models survive.

Scalextric was invented by Bertram 'Fred' Francis, a British engineer. Francis had established Minimodels Ltd successful 1947. In 1952, Minimodels introduced 2 tinplate exemplary artifact ranges featuring clever clockwork mechanisms, 1 called Startex and 1 called Scalex.

Francis realised that hobbyists were fitting tiny electrical motors to their tinplate models and racing them connected railed electrical tracks akin to those utilized by exemplary railways of the period.

He acceptable astir replacing the clockwork centrifugal successful the Scalex scope of cars with a tiny electrical centrifugal and, crucially, added a rotary usher nether the car, which ran into a slot way made of moulded rubber. This enabled the cars to question astatine breathtaking speeds.

The archetypal car produced by Scalextric was the Maserati 250F, made celebrated by Juan Manuel Fangio driving 1 successful his legendary last triumph astatine the 1957 German Grand Prix. This was followed by a Ferrari 375 and Austin Healey 100/6.

The caller Scalextric cars were officially launched astatine the 1957 Harrogate International Toy Fair and were an contiguous success.

Jonathan Wylie, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.

QUESTION What was the Shah of Iran's 'Great Civilisation'?

The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's Great Civilisation was a projected bid of reforms aimed astatine modernising Iran and transforming it rapidly into an industrialised and Westernised nation. The reforms included nationalist wellness services, guaranteed housing, inexpensive nutrient and escaped university.

The Shah envisioned Iran arsenic a determination powerhouse and a person successful the Middle East. However, these reforms faced important opposition; a bizarre confederation betwixt Left-wing students and Islamic militants saw important governmental unrest that led to the Iranian Revolution, which resulted successful the overthrow of the Shah and the constitution of an Islamic Republic successful 1979.

Just wherefore the Left continues to align itself intimately with a blimpish religion similar Islam, with accepted attitudes to matters specified arsenic the family, homosexuality and women's rights, is 1 of life's large mysteries.

Guy Hoskins, Thatcham, Berkshire.

QUESTION What was Britain's archetypal rider ferry service? What was the archetypal hovercraft service?

The Teignmouth to Shaldon ferry is claimed to beryllium England's oldest. It carries ft passengers and cyclists crossed the River Teign successful Devon. It tin beryllium dated to 1296.

The archetypal Cross-Channel ferry was instigated successful 1821 erstwhile a paddle steamer, the Rob Roy, was taken southbound to Dover. It was purchased by a French institution the pursuing twelvemonth and they introduced a timetabled regular work to Calais. 

The archetypal car ferry work was introduced from Dover to Calais successful 1928.

Sir Christopher Cockerell patented the conception of the hovercraft successful 1955. Gaining authorities enactment for the idea, helium had a prototype nether improvement by 1958. 

However, it wasn't a caller idea. John Thornycroft, a shipbuilder, was moving connected the thought of a vessel supported by a cushion of aerial arsenic aboriginal arsenic 1897.

Cockerell's SR-N1 exemplary performed its archetypal motor tally connected May 29, 1959, and crossed the English Channel for the archetypal clip soon afterwards. 

The archetypal commercialized hovercraft work was introduced successful 1962, carrying passengers from Moreton, Merseyside, to Rhyl successful North Wales.

The archetypal regular hovercraft ferry work was introduced successful 1965, carrying passengers from Southsea to Ryde connected the Isle of Wight. There is inactive a hovercraft work operating connected that way and it is the lone remaining commercialized hovercraft work successful the world.

A Cross-Channel hovercraft work was introduced successful 1968, flying from Ramsgate to Calais.

Robert Sutherland, Northampton.