Roadable Aircraft - Aerocar Aerocar

Moulton B. Taylor dreamed of producing a roadable aircraft, which could be used as a family car and, as the need or inclination arose, have wings, tail and propellor quickly attached. After World War 2, Taylor set to work to produce such a vehicle, and by late 1949 a prototype Aerocar had flown.

On 13th December, 1956, the improved production Aerocar 1 received FAA certification. Four further Model 1s were built, for demonstration and sale. The six Aerocars so far built accumulated over 200,000 road miles and 5,000 flight hours. The final version was a much improved Aerocar III, converted from a model 1.

The car itself was a fairly conventional front-wheel-drive automobile. The power plant was an Avco Lycoming O-320 aircraft engine in the rear of the vehicle. This drove either the road wheels or, via an extended drive shaft in the detachable tail boom, a propellor to the rear of the Y-form tail structure. Braced monoplane wings were fitted in high configuration to the rear of the car. Unless the wings and tail boom were all correctly engaged, it was not possible to start the engine for flight.

Conversion from air to road could be achieved by one person in five minutes. The detached aircraft components could be towed behind the car in folding wheels fitted to the wing roots.

The Aerocar project ended with the passing of new legislation relating to automobiles in the United States. To meet 1970s requirements, the Aerocar would have to become too heavy and expensive to be practical.