Another Wednesday! To inspire you to do amazing things with the rest of the work week, I offer these two videos of perseverance and ingenuity that result in amazing flying machines.

Radio controlled aircraft, especially helicopters, have always fascinated me. They pale beside the creations of Rupert Brandon-King and his friends.

Starting with the slightly absurd idea of wanting to see a washing machine fly, Rupert begins to wonder what would happen if you combine radio controlled helicopters and common devices around your home, like a clock radio, gas barbecue, lawn mower or front load washing machine?

Initially, you get lots of headaches trying to figure out how to make it all work. Then you end up with wild flying machines and this remarkable video. (Don’t miss the take off at the 2:14 mark – it’s beautiful, odd and surreal.)

This next video shows much more polished versions of these flying machines, including a clock radio that looks and behaves rather like a dragonfly (at about the 30 second mark). And don’t miss the flying egg beater at the 39 second mark.

These devices are whimsical and yet to me they show that imagination and wonder linked to ingenuity and perseverance lead to amazing results and are the key elements in creating all of the wonders of our 21st Century world.