Dimitrie Leonida

The Technical Museum was founded in 1909 by engineer Dimitrie Leonida (1883 - 1965) after he visited the Technical museum in Munich. In 1908 Dimitrie Leonida founded the first school of mechanics in Romania. Together with his pupils he began collecting items to start the museum. Leonida wanted this museum to be like a school, where the visitors could see working models which would demonstrate physics, electricity and magnetism. The Technical Museum now has over 5000 exhibits. Among these the most important are: - The cylinder from the first steam engine used in Romanian industry, a machine brought, from Vienna in 1853 and used in a large bakery. Two Brush dynamos (1882) from the first electric power plant in Romania. - On September 4th 1882 in New York, Thomas Alva Edison, produced the first electric power plant. In the same year, an electric power plant was built in Bucharest and located at Calea Victoriei. - Edison dynamo (1884) was set up in September 4th 1897 and supplied electric power to the National Theatre in Bucharest. - Electric tram engine (1894). Trams were introduced into Bucharest in 1894. - The first car in the world with a true aerodynamic shape was built in 1923 by Aurel Persu. This car had its wheels enclosed by the bodywork and was shaped like half a water droplet. - The automobile Olds Patent (1888), one of the first cars in Bucharest. - Soleta minicar, made by Justin Capra. - The engine made by George Constantinescu. Constantinescu is the creator of a new scientific discipline within the mechanics of continuum media, concerning power transmission through vibrations, sonicity. One of his remarkable inventions is the Mechanical Couple Converser, based on which the power of an engine or other power generator can be automatically transferred to a secondary shaft, which can be used in machine-tools, locomotives, automobiles, etc. The couple converser also secures a permanent and automatic adjustment of the car running to the difference in resistance to advance. - The engine of the IAR-K 14 aeroplane - 1937, on its performance it was the second best in Europe at that time. - The scale model of the Vuia plane - he flew for the first time, on 18th March 1906 at Montesson in France, this being the first flight of any plane in the World! - The first in the world jet pack made by Justin Capra in 1958. - A Duesenberg Straight Eight, Jean Calcianu's racing car. Jean learned the famous Ettore Bugatti how to improve his racing cars. - A Carpati Motorcycle, the first of it's type made in Romania. - A SR 101 truck, the first truck made in Romania after WW II. Address: Muzeul Tehnic Dimitrie Leonida - Str. Candiano Popescu nr. 2 (Parcul Carol I), Bucharest, tel: (+40-1) 336.77.77 http://www.ttech.ro/muzteh.htm - Dimitrie Leonida Museum site http://www.cimec.ro/Muzee/mteh/mteh.htm - D.L. Museum official site http://www.retromobil.ro/sectii/aro/aro.htm - Retromobil Club Romania