Vehicle Technology

As young boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright loved all things mechanical. As young men, they gained invaluable skills essential for their success by working with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and any sort of machinery they could get their hands on. As adults, the brothers worked together to invent, build, and fly the world's first successful airplane. This is the fascinating story of the two inventors and aviation pioneers who never lost sight of their dream: to fly, and to soar higher!

Auto racing is all about aerodynamics. Racecars use two different forces, lift and drag, to fly around the track. Find out how the cars use these forces, and then “fly” your own racecar with a fun experiment!

The Real Case for Driverless Mobility: Putting Driverless Vehicles to Use for Those Who Really Need a Ride explores solutions for providing mobility for the unserved/underserved, including those who cannot drive themselves, afford transport alternatives, or who live in areas where neither public nor private transport is offered. The book synthesizes the career-long activities of the authors and the Princeton SmartDrivingCars Summits and assesses whether cars without drivers can deliver an affordable and more effective alternative to mass transit and taxis.

Megatrends such as climate change, urbanization, new work practices, and aging populations are starting to impact how we move and how we transport goods, as well as the decisions we make about consumer transportation and logistics. The Flagship Experience discusses how Software-Defined Vehicles and AI will enable automakers, transportation providers, and transportation planners to reimagine the mobility customer experience, and presents a framework for implementing it.

Space vehicles are out of this world! But how do they fly out into space? How do they carry people safely? And what parts do these amazing aircraft have? Find the answers inside this book!

Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring—she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions in her mind, including many designs for flying machines. However, they all seemed too impractical. Lilian knew she could design one that worked.

Did you know that the world's first submarine traveled the Thames River in England way back in 1615? Or that early cars had three wheels instead of four? Get ready to learn the fascinating stories behind inventions you use every day. From the motorcycle inventor who died while riding his creation, to the engineers who figured out a better way to launch humans into space, you'll find out how we got the transportation inventions that get us where we're going.

In May 1869, the U.S. railroad network unified when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads came together in Promontory, Utah. The Transcontinental Railroad: The Gateway to the West discusses this important milestone in the expansion of the United States and its impact on the nation, both positive and negative. This book tells how the east-west railroad played an integral role in opening western markets to the residents of the eastern United States, but it also examines how the railroad led to the demise of many American Indian groups in the West.

Hot air balloons are huge and colorful. They're lots of fun to watch. But how do they fly? And how do people control where the hot air balloon goes? Listen to this audiobook to find out!

Would you want to swoop through the air like a bird? Riding a hang glider is a fun way to fly. But a hang glider has no motor. How does the pilot take off? How does the hang glider stay in the air? Learn the answers in this audiobook!

Jets are sleek and powerful. They travel very fast. But how do these heavy planes fly? And how do pilots land them? Listen to this audiobook to find out!

Beep! Beep! Here comes a dump truck! Young students can learn basic facts about these load-bearing machines through simple text to support listeners who are just starting out.

How does iron turn into a brand-new car? Follow each step in the production cycle - from digging up iron ore to hitting the road - in this fascinating book!

Helicopters can take off from almost anywhere and change directions quickly. They can even hover. But how do they stay in the air? And how do pilots control these special aircraft? Listen to this book to find out!

How does steel become a shiny new bicycle? Follow each step in the process - from shaping the steel to testing the finished bike - in this fascinating book!

Amelia Earhart refused to accept no for an answer; she dared to do what no one had ever done before and became the first woman to fly a plane all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. This audiobook follows her from childhood to her first flying lessons and onward to her multi-record-breaking career as a pilot.

Flight. Loneliness. Fear. Danger. Courage. Charles Lindbergh considered all these things and more when he set out for Paris on the morning of May 20, 1927, with only two compasses and the stars for his guides. Experience all the drama of Lindbergh's history-making flight with startling intimacy as you travel along with the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic, and follow the courage and endurance of one man who dared to make his dream come true.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, this stunning audiobook depicts Louis Bleriot's historic first cross-Channel flight.

Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford started off as insatiably curious tinkerers. That curiosity led them to become inventors - with very different results. As Edison invented hit after commercial hit, gaining fame and fortune, Henry struggled to make a single invention (an affordable car) work. Witnessing Thomas' glorious career from afar, a frustrated Henry wondered about the secret to his success.

Parachutes can be used for emergency landings. But they can also be used for flying fun! Who packs a parachute? And how does its light fabric keep you afloat? Discover the answers inside this audiobook!