In advertisements, the company claimed the single-seater vehicle could reach top speeds of 500 mph (800 km/h). ![]() A full-sized prototype was displayed in the Ford Rotunda, Michigan, but it never saw production. In 1959, Ford developed a concept hovercar model named the Levicar Mach I. Only five were constructed (a sixth was built as a flying-only model). However, while Taylor sold a few prototypes for $15,000, he was unable to secure a deal for volume production. Its wings and tail folded into a self-contained package that could be towed behind the car like a trailer, and was even approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. The Aerocar is hailed as the world’s first practical flying car, the two-seater roadable aircraft could fly at a top speed of 177 km/h (110 mph), and it had an on-road cruising speed of 96.56 km/h (60 mph) and a 300-mile range. It turns out, the song was based on a real vehicle - Moulton Taylor’s Aerocar which took its first flight in December 1949. So I let out my wings and then I blew my horn I put my foot in my tank and I began to roll Push in on the button and you will hear her sing. ![]() With a powerful motor and some hideaway wings It was custom-made, 'twas a Flight De Ville However, t he production was shut down after 5 units as there was not enough demand for flying cars in the market then.Ĭhuck Berry's 1956 single "You Can't Catch Me," includes lyrics describing an aircar: It incorporated tricycle landing gear, had detachable wings, could reach speeds of 90 mph (90 km/h) on the road, and was both low cost and simple to fly. The two-seater Waterman Arrowbile (later changed to Aerobile) flew for the first time on February 21, 1937. Later, the engineer, inventor, and pilot Waldo Waterman, who was a former associate of Glenn Curtiss, took the engine from his Studebaker car, made some modifications, and used it in his high-winged monoplane. Only one AC-35 was built before the beginning of World War II and the development of a practical helicopter ended the project. After folding back the rotors, the pilot could switch engine power to the rear drive wheel, allowing street speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h).Īlthough the prototype performed well, the initial price tag of $12,500 was very far from the company's goal of an affordable $700 aircraft for the average family. The result was the two-seat AC-35 Autogiro flying vehicle which could take off and land in 52 m (173 ft) of room. Bureau of Air Commerce awarded a contract to the Pitcairn Autogiro Company, in 1935, to develop a roadable aircraft. A replica of Back to the Future's flying DeLorean. Due to the outbreak of the first world war, Curtiss abandoned the project. This flying vehicle was able to lift off the ground during its early test runs, but it never achieved full flight. ![]() In 1917, Glenn Hammond Curtiss, who is also considered by many to be the founder of the American aircraft industry, created ‘Autoplane’, a roadable winged automobile. However, the first real-world attempt to create a flying car is actually much older than The Jetsons. Hovercars featured in iconic films such as 1989s Back to the Future Part II and 1995s Fifth Element, and these references still have a big influence not only on audiences but also on automobile designers. These have been an integral part of many pop culture themes and ideas. ![]() The history of flying cars from fiction to reality Source: Florida Memory/flickrĬan you guess what the dystopian future of 2017s Blade Runner 2049 and the 1960s cartoon The Jetsons have in common ? The answer is flying cars. Industry experts and engineers reveal that there are still many hidden challenges associated with flying cars that both automakers and authorities will need to overcome before air traffic becomes a reality. Now, all these promising developments may indicate there will be flying cars in the near future, but there is no denying that such promises and claims are made every year. From North America to Europe and Asia, there are a number of companies engaged in the creation of flying cars or smaller vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (VTOL) prototypes, and many of them are hopeful of introducing fully functional air-borne vehicles by the year 2030. Moreover, a recent report from MIT Technology Review suggests that the automobile market is likely to witness the launch of around 20 flying vehicles in the next few years. At present, companies including Boeing, Uber, and Airbus have claimed to be working on their own flying car models.
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