Vymaanika Shaastra: or Science of Aeronautics

Good

If you are interested in ancient texts about mechanical marvels, you will want to get the Vymaanika Shaasstra. I first learned about this text on a History Channel series — fascinating!

I had thought this was a Vedic text, finally translated. Turns out it's "channeled" material, supposedly from an ancient rishi. Unlike most such texts, this one is badly organized and inconsistent. This suggests that even if the source is valid, it's coming thorough a heavy filter. The described technology would fit well in a steam punk novel. And the drawings suggest they were like flying birthday cakes. Not exactly aeronautic. A curious read but of dubious source.

If the timeline on this book are to be believed it's very astonishing where our current technology has reached making it look more like scientific than friction.