Flying Cars And Roadable Aircraft

[Hammer Birchgrove]

I noticed the Martain aircar discussion and just wanted to chime in. This car was built around 1950 with plywood which was soaked in water and molded. It had an bi plane engine with the propeler reversed. This allowed it to drive on the street, go in the water, and also fly. This car spent many years in my fathers shop before being donated to the museum in Denver. Mr. Martain and Albert Hadan built this vehicle and had many talks with the military on selling the design. I have a video of the car boating around in a lake then driving straight out from the boat ramp. Then they drove it down the street and it would easily travel at 60 comfortably. They then took it to the airport and the video shows it getting off the ground by at least 6 to 7 feet. They didn't want to get in the air any farther because the plane/boat/car was made of just plywood and this was their only one. I guess they didn't want to risk it. Just wanted to say that this design was way ahead of anything produced lately and these two get no credit on creating it. I will try and get the video on youtube of the car flying, driving and boating around the local lake. Oh yea, the Martain aircar was created in Nebraska...Omaha.

Why wasn't the plywood varnished? ???

 

[Stargazer]

I noticed the Martain aircar discussion and just wanted to chime in. This car was built around 1950 with plywood which was soaked in water and molded. It had an bi plane engine with the propeler reversed. This allowed it to drive on the street, go in the water, and also fly. This car spent many years in my fathers shop before being donated to the museum in Denver. Mr. Martain and Albert Hadan built this vehicle and had many talks with the military on selling the design. I have a video of the car boating around in a lake then driving straight out from the boat ramp. Then they drove it down the street and it would easily travel at 60 comfortably. They then took it to the airport and the video shows it getting off the ground by at least 6 to 7 feet. They didn't want to get in the air any farther because the plane/boat/car was made of just plywood and this was their only one. I guess they didn't want to risk it. Just wanted to say that this design was way ahead of anything produced lately and these two get no credit on creating it. I will try and get the video on youtube of the car flying, driving and boating around the local lake. Oh yea, the Martain aircar was created in Nebraska...Omaha.

First-hand testimonies like this really make my day. Thanks for shedding some light on this (unfortunately) overlooked piece of aviation history!

 

[racingruss]

They used epoxy sealer paint. My father recalls it taking days for the paint sealer to dry and then they went back and painted it red and silver.

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

They used epoxy sealer paint. My father recalls it taking days for the paint sealer to dry and then they went back and painted it red and silver.

A pity the paint didn't protect from mould.

 

[robunos]

A few more, from 'Flying Spectacular',
a special edition of 'Aeroplane Monthly',
published in the autumn of 1975.

First, the Taylor Aerocar, original
Model I, and the later Model III.

Second, Leland D. Bryan's Bryan Monoplane,
a roadable aircraft rather than flying car.

Third, Bob Fulton's Airphibian, from 1946.
Conversion took one person seven minutes.

Fourthly, the Southernaire Roadable, designed
by Ted Hall, and built by Southern Aircraft of
Texas.
This one reminds me a lot of the Convair 118,
shown above.



cheers,
Robin.

 

[robunos]

Part Two :-

Fifthly, Joseph Halmer's Aero Car Model 3, not
to be confused with the Taylor Aerocar, above.

And lastly, another picture of the AVE Mizar.


cheers,
Robin.

 

[fightingirish]

And lastly, another picture of the AVE Mizar.

An article about the AVE Mizar published in the Air & Space Magazine, July 2010.
Link: http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/Oldies-and-Oddities-A-Different-Kind-of-Hybrid-.html

 

[robunos]

Thanks for the link...
Have I got this right, but reading that
article, I get the impression that the car
part of the Mizar couldn't be separated
from the wings...


cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

the Handey Page HP.120 roadable design.

http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=bJlZ4mKf1EkC&pg=PA89&dq=burnelli&lr=&cd=2#v=onepage&q=burnelli&f=true

 

[Stargazer]

The Equator EQP2, another yet-unbuilt project that looks good in 3D but will have to prove itself in real life... if it ever reaches that stage.

All about the Equator: http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/06/03/lsa-personal-pan-airplanes/

 

[Orionblamblam]

Seems kinda lean on "engine."

 

[aim9xray]

Meh. Yanko is an artsy design webzine, not an engineering concern.

This design is being promoted by Equator Aircraft, a Norwegian company which looks to have built actual hardware. They are promoting their Equator EQP2 as a twin electric motor, fly-by-wire LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) amphibian. Looks just a little ambitious.

http://www.equatoraircraft.com/

 

[Stargazer]

Oops.
Fixed. :

 

[Jemiba]

Interesting concept, although quite probably still way ahead in terms of the
electric propulsion.
But have I missed something, or isn't it meant to be roadable ? ???
(Would move it to its own subject then)

 

[Kokoro]

Runflier Stalker ? only one pic on the interweb, says its a flying car.

 

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Abstract of US patent 6,619,584 B1:

[quote author=patent 6,619,584 - Robin Haynes (inventor)]
A road/air vehicle is able to quickly and easily convert between two configurations, air configuration and road configuration, to facilitate practical operation as both an aircraft and as an automobile. In air configuration the craft includes two laterally symmetrically [sic] flight surfaces; a smaller forward canard wing, generally horizontally disposed and a larger rearward main wing generally horizontally disposed with fin surfaces, generally vertically disposed, at each tip. Control surfaces on the main wing, the canard wing and the tip fins severally provide roll control, pitch control and yaw control in flight. The wheels/undercarriage are of a laterally symmetrical rectangular pattern, with the lateral distance between the two forward wheels and the two rearward wheels being similar. The forward wheels are steerable for ground operations. A suitable powerplant drives the rear wheels for ground operations. A second suitable powerplant provides direct atmospheric thrust for flight operations. In road configuration all flight surfaces and avionics sensors are folded and stored inside compartments within the body of the craft. Controls to facilitate both ground and flight operations are available for a single operator to perform the functions of both driver in road configuration and pilot in air configuration.
[/quote]

 

[OM]

...And apparently there's been a *success* of sorts where an actual flying car is concerned:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/30/transition.flying.car/index.html?hpt=T2

 

[Colonial-Marine]

...And apparently there's been a *success* of sorts where an actual flying car is concerned:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/30/transition.flying.car/index.html?hpt=T2

Yet if they do actually start selling these, won't it be a really niche market they are appealing to?

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a flying car of 1955,designed by J.F. "Skeets" Coleman,
test pilot of the Navy's vertical takeoff Pogo fighter.

http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=NCYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA43&dq=skeets+coleman&hl=ar&ei=vqutTLmTF8brOfa-4OAF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=true

 

[airman]

Moller Sky Car
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20071120/is-it-over-for-the-moller-skycar/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElS9BKSsezw

 

[Orionblamblam]

Moller Sky Car

Say whatever you like about the Moller Sky Car, good or bad... one thing it's not is a "flying car." It is a VTOL aircraft of relatively small dimensions, but it's hardly roadworthy.

 

[F-14D]

Moller Sky Car

Say whatever you like about the Moller Sky Car, good or bad... one thing it's not is a "flying car." It is a VTOL aircraft of relatively small dimensions, but it's hardly roadworthy.

I'm sorry, but I fear you are incorrect. You describe the Moller as, "...of relatively small dimensions...". You forgot to include the size of the crane that lifts it in the air (visible in the video).

 

[F-14D]

Yet if they do actually start selling these, won't it be a really niche market they are appealing to?

Sadly, all of personal General Aviation, especially LSA, is pretty much a niche market; It's simply too expensive for the overwhelming majority of non business-related potential owners. This is one of the reasons the LSA market never developed as was hoped, they did not bring the cost down . There's an article in this months' Flying magazine about the Carbon Cub LSA,which they praise to the skies. they note that since January, 2010 it's been the #1 selling LSA...with a grand total of 17. Price? $185,485. If Terrafugia's production Transition flies well and they can really deliver this for their claimed price of $194,000 (I'm skeptical that they can), they could have a relatively good seller (you can actually get around one you reach your destination airport) in a small market

 

[Orionblamblam]

You describe the Moller as, "...of relatively small dimensions...". You forgot to include the size of the crane that lifts it in the air (visible in the video).

OK, fair enough. Let me rephrase: "The second stage of the multi-stage Moller Sky Car is of relatively small dimensions."

The third stage, the ejector seat, is smaller still.

 

[sublight]

Sadly, all of personal General Aviation, especially LSA, is pretty much a niche market; It's simply too expensive for the overwhelming majority of non business-related potential owners. This is one of the reasons the LSA market never developed as was hoped, they did not bring the cost down . There's an article in this months' Flying magazine about the Carbon Cub LSA,which they praise to the skies. they note that since January, 2010 it's been the #1 selling LSA...with a grand total of 17. Price? $185,485. If Terrafugia's production Transition flies well and they can really deliver this for their claimed price of $194,000 (I'm skeptical that they can), they could have a relatively good seller (you can actually get around one you reach your destination airport) in a small market

Can somebody tell me why a $100k+ airplane is using an engine with a Carburetor? I would think EFI or direct injection for those kinds of prices....

 

[F-14D]

Sadly, all of personal General Aviation, especially LSA, is pretty much a niche market; It's simply too expensive for the overwhelming majority of non business-related potential owners. This is one of the reasons the LSA market never developed as was hoped, they did not bring the cost down . There's an article in this months' Flying magazine about the Carbon Cub LSA,which they praise to the skies. they note that since January, 2010 it's been the #1 selling LSA...with a grand total of 17. Price? $185,485. If Terrafugia's production Transition flies well and they can really deliver this for their claimed price of $194,000 (I'm skeptical that they can), they could have a relatively good seller (you can actually get around one you reach your destination airport) in a small market

Can somebody tell me why a $100k+ airplane is using an engine with a Carburetor? I would think EFI or direct injection for those kinds of prices....

Because the Rotax weighs less than other engines, a factor in any light aircraft design and especially in an LSA, is used by a number of LSAs so that parts are relatively available and is [relatively] cheap, at least in aviation terms. As for your thoughts on $100K+, that's why I said a niche market. You aren't going to find any new production standard aircraft for anywhere near $100K, and the average price of LSAs is over $100K.

 

[sublight]

Sadly, all of personal General Aviation, especially LSA, is pretty much a niche market; It's simply too expensive for the overwhelming majority of non business-related potential owners. This is one of the reasons the LSA market never developed as was hoped, they did not bring the cost down . There's an article in this months' Flying magazine about the Carbon Cub LSA,which they praise to the skies. they note that since January, 2010 it's been the #1 selling LSA...with a grand total of 17. Price? $185,485. If Terrafugia's production Transition flies well and they can really deliver this for their claimed price of $194,000 (I'm skeptical that they can), they could have a relatively good seller (you can actually get around one you reach your destination airport) in a small market

Can somebody tell me why a $100k+ airplane is using an engine with a Carburetor? I would think EFI or direct injection for those kinds of prices....

Because the Rotax weighs less than other engines, a factor in any light aircraft design and especially in an LSA, is used by a number of LSAs so that parts are relatively available and is [relatively] cheap, at least in aviation terms. As for your thoughts on $100K+, that's why I said a niche market. You aren't going to find any new production standard aircraft for anywhere near $100K, and the average price of LSAs is over $100K.

Its not a Rotax, its a flat four ancient lycoming that looks like an old VW bug engine.... (yes, the Rotax looks like that too)

 

[F-14D]

Sadly, all of personal General Aviation, especially LSA, is pretty much a niche market; It's simply too expensive for the overwhelming majority of non business-related potential owners. This is one of the reasons the LSA market never developed as was hoped, they did not bring the cost down . There's an article in this months' Flying magazine about the Carbon Cub LSA,which they praise to the skies. they note that since January, 2010 it's been the #1 selling LSA...with a grand total of 17. Price? $185,485. If Terrafugia's production Transition flies well and they can really deliver this for their claimed price of $194,000 (I'm skeptical that they can), they could have a relatively good seller (you can actually get around one you reach your destination airport) in a small market

Can somebody tell me why a $100k+ airplane is using an engine with a Carburetor? I would think EFI or direct injection for those kinds of prices....

Because the Rotax weighs less than other engines, a factor in any light aircraft design and especially in an LSA, is used by a number of LSAs so that parts are relatively available and is [relatively] cheap, at least in aviation terms. As for your thoughts on $100K+, that's why I said a niche market. You aren't going to find any new production standard aircraft for anywhere near $100K, and the average price of LSAs is over $100K.

Its not a Rotax, its a flat four ancient lycoming that looks like an old VW bug engine.... (yes, the Rotax looks like that too)

Allow me, if you will, to quote directly from Terrfugia's site and their specifications for the production vehicle.

"Proven 100 hp Rotax 912S engine"

BTW, they are now talking of a price in the $200-250K range.

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Seems Terrafugia has defined the "production" version of their proof of concept design. A Hammacher Schlemmer Christmas catalog was in the mail yesterday when I got home and the design now called "Transition" was on the cover. In the catalog it was listed for $350,000.00. Here's a few pics from the Terrafugia site.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[memaerobilia]

Regarding the Terrafugia /"Transition:" The second "mid-road" image set off alarms in my head. We used to have an aircraft salvage yard, and built several special trailers to haul the dismantled aircraft over the roads and highways. Some trailers had side racks, to fasten the wings to the sides of posts, (Some had flat racks above the center fuselage and between the sideposts-that enabled us to carry the wings flat across thhe top..The wing-carry posts looked almost like football goal posts...and folded down when not in use)that went outboard of the fuselage carried in the center of the trailers. The image of those upright, side-mounted wing postions gave me flashbacks of "White-Knuckle" driving over the highways. I had numerous terrifying instances of wind gusts nearly pushing me and my HEAVY truck and loaded trailers off the highway, or into another lane which had other cars or trucks. Those upright wing carriers on the light weight Terrafugia /"Transition," which is a very light vehicle, seem very vulnerable to even light wind gusts, which are common on vast open highways/roadways. That problem can possibly be avoided, by designing them to be carried flat, above the vehicle. The current upright system looks to be a catastrophe in waiting...

 

[Stargazer]

The question is... what person in their right minds would put down 350,000 bucks on the table for an aircraft that is only seen in CG form???

 

[royabulgaf]

The trouble with roadable aircraft is for the money you are looking at a product that is going to be a horseshit car or/and a horseshit airplane. Just out of curiosity, how legal is the vehicle in car form? Side impact beams? Airbags? Crush zones? Muffler? Exhaust emissions? (with a carbeurator?)

 

[Jemiba]

To me, the series of pictures seem to show, what it is intended for : Just to move the
aircraft from your house to the airfield only a few miles away, with the road,
(not congested, of course) just as an elongated taxiway . Perhaps you've got no
hangar space there, or you have bad experiences in getting your aircraft adorned with
graffiti while it was parked. And your wife can enter the aircraft at home, without
the need to get her hair dressed before (tinted windows should be available). Principally
you could use a standard light aircraft, too, but that wouldn't fit into your garage. ;D

 

[Stargazer]

Yeah, but wouldn't you rather spend so much money on an aircraft that you've actually seen flying and converting in REAL photos?!? ???

 

[F-14D]

To me, the series of pictures seem to show, what it is intended for : Just to move the
aircraft from your house to the airfield only a few miles away, with the road,
(not congested, of course) just as an elongated taxiway . Perhaps you've got no
hangar space there, or you have bad experiences in getting your aircraft adorned with
graffiti while it was parked. And your wife can enter the aircraft at home, without
the need to get her hair dressed before (tinted windows should be available). Principally
you could use a standard light aircraft, too, but that wouldn't fit into your garage. ;D

The original idea for all of these was to use it as a car, and when you want to go long distances, fly. Also one problem, especially with light aircraft going to smaller airfields is, OK, now you're there. How do you get around to places more than walking distance from the airport? This is what gave rise to the concept of the $200 hamburger.

To royabulgaf: Terrfugia specifically got an exemption to exceed the FAA's arbitrary weight limit for LSAs by a limited amount (not as much as they wanted) so they could meet the gov't mandates for highway safety.

There might have been a decent market @ $150K, but I can't see much of one at $350K

 

[Arjen]

How do you get around to places more than walking distance from the airport? This is what gave rise to the concept of the $200 hamburger.

I remember seeing a concept somewhere of a folding motorbike, small and light enough to be carried in a light airplane. Most of the flying cars I've seen look pretty daft anyway, so if looking cool bothers you enough to avoid folding motorbikes...

 

[Grey Havoc]

Maverick Flying Car at Oshkosh (originally found by Johnbr).

October 13, 2010 - Steve Saint of I-TEC drove his road-legal flying car from Florida to Oshkosh this summer. Since then the FAA has also issued the Maverick a S-LSA aircraft airworthiness certificate. I-TEC hopes to be in production by EAA Oshkosh 2011.

 

[hesham]

Also from the same topic;

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Pometablava,

and here is the myCopter Flying Car;

http://www.dailybits.com/mycopter-another-step-towards-the-age-of-flying-cars/

 

[UpForce]

S'pose the PAL-V 3wheeler/autogyro thingy falls under this category. It does actually fly and drive (see the video on their site) and the design seems effortless and unforced compared to many other "hybrids".

Images linked from PAL-V's flicr stream.