Flying Dutchman Creates Magnificent Flying Machine

A pensioner from the Dutch town of Eindhoven has become the Flying Dutchman after restoring an old bicycle and turning it into a ‘flying bike’ at the same time.

Bob Casemier, 66, has dubbed his magnificent flying machine the ‘Casemier Cox’ and said he made it is a tribute to another creator of a flying bike from France who successfully managed to travel a short distance in 1921.

Because in 2021 it will be a hundred years ago that Frenchman Gabriel Poulain managed to travel 10 metres (33 feet) through the air with a kind of flying bicycle near Paris as part of a competition run by Peugeot, he decided to repeat the challenge.

Bob, who lives in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, is a restorer of vehicles and machines with a preference for anything that is over at least half a century old.

Credit: Real Press
The name of the flying bicycle, Casemier Cox

He has turned his hand to planes, motorcycles and racing bikes as his favourite subjects, so with the latest project decided to combine the best of all three.

His love for old things is why a trip into his home is a trip back in time, with his flying bike taking pride of place in his living room.

Speaking to local media he explained his passion saying: “When I start something, I go for it. It must have quality.

“First I bought an old bicycle frame. Then I started thinking about what to add, it had to be old or look old. Of course everything has to be in balance with each other.”

Speaking about the original flying bike from 1921 that inspired him, he said: “These were events that drew a lot of people.”

He said that at the time they expected that ten to fifteen years later people would go to work with flying bikes.

Those bikes had much larger wings as well although Casemier did not want to go that far and his bike does not fly.

Credit: Real Press
Bob Casemier and his flying bicycle

He said: “It was not my goal to really fly with it.”

One of the big delays in getting this project off the ground was searching for old parts.

He said: “You can hardly find a nice pre-war steering wheel, so I made that myself. It’s just a handlebar, but I turned the curve the other way.”

The narrow leather saddle of the ‘Casemier Cox’ dates from around 1915.

The gears come from an old Opel Kadett and he himself made a propeller from wood.

He added that at the moment he was enjoying simply looking at it after all the work, and had no plans to try and fly it, let alone cycle it.

But he added that it had character, saying he liked the vintage appeal, but only with his creations.

He added: “Only with machines, not with people. I’d rather see a nice young girl than an old one.”


To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: James KingSub-EditorAlex Cope, Agency: Real Press

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