#john fitch

[crownedstoat]

John Fitch, Mercedes Benz 300SLR at the 1955 Targa Florio

[klemcoll]

A Cunningham Maserati

Before the start at Sebring on March 25, 1961 here is the well-known American sports car driver John Fitch settling into the Maserati T61 that he will share with Dr. Dick Thompson who was a dentist turned successful SCCA sports car driver. Fitch had extensive international experience, including s psst win at Sebring and a class win for Mercedes at the 1955 Mille Miglia. This Maserati was owned…

A Cunningham Maserati

[lindahall]

John Fitch – Scientist of the Day

John Fitch, an American clockmaker, gunsmith, and inventor, was born Jan. 21, 1742, in Windsor, Conn.

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[frenchcurious]

John Fitch & Bob Grossman (Chevrolet Corvette C1 #00867S102538) Pit stop aux 24 Heures du Mans 1960. © Klemantaski / Getty. - source Carros e Pilotos.

[rabbitcruiser]

John Fitch was granted a United States patent for the steamboat on August 26, 1791.  

[ltwilliammowett]

John Fitch and the first steamboat

John Fitch also known as Jonathan Fitch was born on 21 January 1743 and was a horologist from Connecticut . As early as 1785 he began to play with the idea of building a steamboat in Philadelphia. He tried different designs and variations how a steam engine could move a ship. Thereupon he received a patent and tried with Henry Voight, a horologist from Holland to build an operable steamship.

Plan of a Steamboat, the first try

The first successful test run of his steamboat Perseverance took place on 22 August 1787 on the Delaware River in the presence of delegates from the Constitutional Convention. It was powered by a bench on both sides of the boat. Unfortunately, the boiler exploded at Burlington. But the men were so enthusiastic that he even got a monopoly for the use of steamboats. Over the next few years, Fitch and Voight worked to develop better designs, and in June 1790, an 18-meter long boat powered by a steam engine driving several stern oars was launched.  These oars paddled in a way that resembled the movement of the feet of a swimming duck.

Model of the Perseverance  (c) Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, Germany

With this boat he carried up to 30 paying passengers on numerous round trips between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey in the summer of 1790. Estimates of miles travelled suggest that the summer ranged from 1,300 to 3,000, and Fitch claimed that the boat often covered 500 miles without mechanical problems. Estimated speeds under adverse conditions were at least 6 miles per hour and a maximum of 7 or 8 miles per hour.

Steamboat of April 1790 used for passenger service, the oars are now at the stern

Unfortunately he had no luck, despite his considerable success, nobody paid attention to him any more, nobody was willing to continue supporting his endeavours, not even in Europe. There he was smiled at only tiredly when he told that soon steam ships would sail the seven seas and no more sailing ships. And although he owned the patent and the monopoly he had no more money to continue this project. He left Philadelphia and went to Kentucky where he built two experimental models of steam locomotives, but even this was only noticed in the early 19 th Century. Unfortunately he began to drink and died after swallowing too many opium pills. He was only 55 years old and died on July 2, 1798. But he is often forgotten in history and the first steamship is attributed to Robert Fulton who was successful from 1807 with his North River Steamboat (later known as Clermont).

[worldsfastestbear]

Noted racer John Fitch, in his ‘56 on the sands at Daytona.

[legendsofracing]

Phil Walters and John Fitch’s Cunningham C-5R at Le Mans, 1953. They finished third over all, and first in the S8.0 class.