Question:
Hello. I have 2 questions for all of you: 1) Does anyone have any info on how to obtain plans or a kit for a Rutan VariViggen? I know it is an old design but it is one of my favorites. 2) Does anyone have any info on the Taylor Aerocar? The Aerocar was originally designed back in 1948 and flew in 1949. It was an actual car that had detachable wing and tail sections. It was a pusher prop design with the prop being mounted at the end of the tailed and powered by a shaft from the front mounted engine. The surfaces were removed and towed when the vehicle was in car mode. The project was cancelled in 1949, but Taylor has refined the project and is developing a kit to convert a Honda CRX into an Aerocar. I was windering if anyone has any info on the progress of his work. I would really appreciate it. Michael L. Morris, II State of Panik Prods.
Response:
2) Does anyone have any info on the Taylor Aerocar?
The classified ads in the back pages of every EAA Sport Aviation magazine contain an advertisement where you can order information on the Molt Taylor projects. I don’t have my issue here with me, but I’ll try and remember to look it up. If someone else has theirs handy you are welcome to beat me to it! Also, I believe that the EAA sells a video on the flying cars. Their main number is 414-426-4800 M-F 8:30am – 5:00pm Central Time. —
Response:
As I don’t receive Sport Aviation, I’ve never seen Molt Taylor’s address. If anyone has it, I’d be very grateful if they’d post it to the group. I recall reading about Taylor’s glass-paper-glass construction, and his use of it in building the Micro-Imp, a single-seat, high-wing pusher. Many thanks!
Response:
As I don’t receive Sport Aviation, I’ve never seen Molt Taylor’s address. If anyone has it, I’d be very grateful if they’d post it to the group. I recall reading about Taylor’s glass-paper-glass construction, and his use of it in building the Micro-Imp, a single-seat, high-wing pusher.
Here are two ads from the latest Sport Avaiation: COOT-A TWO-PLACE AMPHIBIAN- Folding wings, towable. Plans $200. Information Package $15 MINI-IMP SPORTPLANE – Single place. Plans $200. Info Pkg. $15. Add $2.50 for postage. Molt Taylor, P.O. Box 1171, Longview WA 98632-7691, 206/425-9874. ROADABLE AIRCRAFT MAGAZINE – For flying car experimenters and enthusiasts. 6 issues/year $15, $21 foreign. 338 8th Ave. S., Dept S3, Edmonds, WA 98020-3412. MOT TAYLOR’S AEROCAR – All you ever wanted to know about flying automobiles… from the acknowledged expert. Info pack- $20 plus $2.50 postage. Molt Taylor, P.O. Box 1171 Longview, WA 98632-7691, 206/425-9874. And, I have no idea if this is relavent to the subject of flying cars, but the same issue November 1993, contained this news item… LOST SPENCER AIR CAR BUILDER’S SOUGHT When Robert Kerans purchased the Specer Aircar amphibian business, he at- tempted to to contact all existing builders, but many letters came back marked "undeliverable." If you are an Aircar builder and never received a letter from Robert Kerans please contact him by writing to Spencer Amphibian Aircraft, Box 327, Kansas, IL 61933 or calling 217/948-5505. —
Response:
The Spencer Air Car mentioned in the followup post concerning the Taylor aerocar is not really the same type of beast. The Spencer air car is a kit/plans version of the famous Republic Seabee amphibian. The Spncer air car differs from the Republic Seabee in that the Seabee has convention (retractable) landing gear whereas the Spencer air car is of nosewheel design. However, the fuselage of the Spencer/Seabee does remind me more of a car than does any other design (with the exception of the Taylor aerocar). Talking of car/plane designs, I rember seeing a sort of a cross between three-wheeled motorcycle and a plane at the Geral Motors exhibit of "future vehicles" at the EPCOT centre at Disneyworld. I slo recall some talk of this design on TV a year or so ago. Have others seen this contraption? I believe the wings folded out of the "cabin". The general shape of this machine reminded me of a streamlined motorcycle sidecar. I think it held one person and was quite light in weight. A rather bizarre but intriguing design!
Response:
: Talking of car/plane designs, I rember seeing a sort of a cross between : three-wheeled motorcycle and a plane at the Geral Motors exhibit of : "future vehicles" at the EPCOT centre at Disneyworld. I slo recall some : talk of this design on TV a year or so ago. Have others seen this : contraption? I believe the wings folded out of the "cabin". The : general shape of this machine reminded me of a streamlined motorcycle : sidecar. I think it held one person and was quite light in weight. A : rather bizarre but intriguing design! I was at EPCOT two years ago and saw a really neat contraption called the "Lean Machine" that fits your description sans the flying feature. It’s basically a 3 wheel motorcycle that has a recumbant seating postion in an enclosed pod that allows the rider to lean the pod into turns. I thought it could be adapted for air car use much more easily than a and type of conventional car would be. I understand that it was shown in the recent movie "Demolition Man" along with a few other GM concept cars. I have a sidecar for my Harley but I don’t like to use the sidecar because it keeps me from being able to lean the bike into turns. IMHO, the ability to lean a bike produces about 97% of the thrill of riding it. That’s yet another reason why flying is so much fun. No land vehicle leans the way an airplane can. Aviation Week had an article of yet another attempt to produce an air car last month and this one was really unique. So far, all they had was a nearly full scale mock up. The wings didn’t fold because it used a low aspect airfoil which had only an 8 foot wingspan. It was truly bizarre. — Lee Devlin | HP Little Falls Site | phone: (302) 633-8697 Piper Colt N4986Z | 2850 Centerville Rd. | email:
Response:
Talking of car/plane designs, I rember seeing a sort of a cross between three-wheeled motorcycle and a plane at the Geral Motors exhibit of "future vehicles" at the EPCOT centre at Disneyworld. I slo recall some talk of this design on TV a year or so ago. Have others seen this contraption? I believe the wings folded out of the "cabin". The general shape of this machine reminded me of a streamlined motorcycle sidecar. I think it held one person and was quite light in weight. A rather bizarre but intriguing design!
I did, I did! I was very interested in that too! In the January Kitplanes page 26 is a continued discussion of the Arlington ‘93 Fly In, and specifically a picture of a "Hon-Dac". This contraption is a Honda Civic (older model) with Pterodactyl (Ultralight) wings and canard attached, pusher prop. Looks like the attach points are the front and rear bumpers with guy wires. He drove it in this year but says will fly it in next…. Back to the EPCOT exhibit – can you imagine driving to the airport, renting an airframe where you drive into/onto the frame, plug in the FBW connector, put the transfer case in neutral so your engine will drive the prop, and take off. When you get to your destination, you unplug/detach from the airframe and drive off. Another vehicle might pull into the airframe right behind you and depart. The airframes are rented one-way. These thoughts were prompted by the display mentioned and occupied several hours of the drive back to Texas. SITYS Dittos! – Mike * IBM OS/2 Software Support Center (Database), Austin, TX * * Ex-AX1 Sub Hunter P-3 (B/B-TACMOD/C) Orion Aircrew * * PP-ASEL, Motorglider Driver and Unlimited Air Race nut * * And now we know what it’s like to live in a Kakistocracy! *
Response:
Here’s some more on info Molt Taylor and roadable airplanes from the Dec. 93 issue of EAA’s Sport Aviation… Molt Taylor passes the following tip along to homebuilders. In all his aircraft designs he has used off-the-shelf selflocking controls produced by the Quadrastat Corp. The company descbies its Quadrastat Control as a "fail-safe mechanical device the ‘locks where you set it’. It automatically locks out feedback forces in either direction without using ratchets, gates, friction pads or unlocking knobs. The greater the feeback force, the tighter the lock. Molt used them as throttles, mixture and prop controls, trim controls, parking brakes, etc., and found them to be marvelouly suited for those purposes. Many supply houses carry them, vut if you cannot find a retail outlet, check with the Quadrastat Corp, 3860 South Capitol Ave, P.O. Box 1262, City of Industry, CA 91749, phone: 213/695-0531. Also from that same issue… ROADABLE AIRCRAFT MAGAAINE – for flying car experimenters and tnthusiasts. 6 issues/year $15. $21 foreign. 338 8th Aven. S., Dept S3, Edmonds, WA 98020-3412 ROADABLE AIRCRAFT – Practical concept for homebuilder – nothing left behind or trailered. Fits one car garage. Need kit mfg./developer/investor. Nebetco Eng., 40 Web Ave., No. Kingstown, RI 02852 —
Response:
in regaurd to the pinto design of the early 70’s. It was mated to the wing/rear engine section ofa Cessna Skymaster. What happen to it was on takeoff the car section seperated from the wing section killing the two designers. Sorry can’t blame the feds this time.
Response:
Excerpts from netnews.rec.aviation.homebuilt: 7-Dec-93 Re: Taylor In the early seventies there was a desigen involving a ford pinto where you could attach the airframe to the car and fly off it was a pusher and used a pt o ftom the transmission to turn the prop dont know what happened to it but my guess is the feds killed it epa faa nhsc or one of those guyes that are there to help
A prototype crashed….in-flight sturctural failure….with 3 or 4 on board….including a Fed. That would end any project. Jeff Dunkle
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Talking of car/plane designs, I rember seeing a sort of a cross between three-wheeled motorcycle and a plane at the Geral Motors exhibit of "future vehicles" at the EPCOT centre at Disneyworld. I slo recall some talk of this design on TV a year or so ago. Have others seen this contraption? I believe the wings folded out of the "cabin". The general shape of this machine reminded me of a streamlined motorcycle sidecar. I think it held one person and was quite light in weight. A rather bizarre but intriguing design! I did, I did! I was very interested in that too! In the January Kitplanes page 26 is a continued discussion of the Arlington ‘93 Fly In, and specifically a picture of a "Hon-Dac". This contraption is a Honda Civic (older model) with Pterodactyl (Ultralight) wings and canard attached, pusher prop. Looks like the attach points are the front and rear bumpers with guy wires. He drove it in this year but says will fly it in next…. Back to the EPCOT exhibit – can you imagine driving to the airport, renting an airframe where you drive into/onto the frame, plug in the FBW connector, put the transfer case in neutral so your engine will drive the prop, and take off. When you get to your destination, you unplug/detach from the airframe and drive off. Another vehicle might pull into the airframe right behind you and depart. The airframes are rented one-way. These thoughts were prompted by the display mentioned and occupied several hours of the drive back to Texas. SITYS Dittos! – Mike * IBM OS/2 Software Support Center (Database), Austin, TX * * Ex-AX1 Sub Hunter P-3 (B/B-TACMOD/C) Orion Aircrew * * PP-ASEL, Motorglider Driver and Unlimited Air Race nut * * And now we know what it’s like to live in a Kakistocracy! * In the early seventies there was a desigen involving a ford pinto where you could attach the airframe to the car and fly off it was a pusher and used a pto ftom the transmission to turn the prop dont know what happened to it but my guess is the feds killed it epa faa nhsc or one of those guyes that are there to help
A book I read recently showed a picture of this contraption. What actually got killed were the two designers, who died when the Ford Pinto separated from the wings!!!
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Talking of car/plane designs, I rember seeing a sort of a cross between three-wheeled motorcycle and a plane at the Geral Motors exhibit of "future vehicles" at the EPCOT centre at Disneyworld. I slo recall some talk of this design on TV a year or so ago. Have others seen this contraption? I believe the wings folded out of the "cabin". The general shape of this machine reminded me of a streamlined motorcycle sidecar. I think it held one person and was quite light in weight. A rather bizarre but intriguing design! I did, I did! I was very interested in that too! In the January Kitplanes page 26 is a continued discussion of the Arlington ‘93 Fly In, and specifically a picture of a "Hon-Dac". This contraption is a Honda Civic (older model) with Pterodactyl (Ultralight) wings and canard attached, pusher prop. Looks like the attach points are the front and rear bumpers with guy wires. He drove it in this year but says will fly it in next…. Back to the EPCOT exhibit – can you imagine driving to the airport, renting an airframe where you drive into/onto the frame, plug in the FBW connector, put the transfer case in neutral so your engine will drive the prop, and take off. When you get to your destination, you unplug/detach from the airframe and drive off. Another vehicle might pull into the airframe right behind you and depart. The airframes are rented one-way. These thoughts were prompted by the display mentioned and occupied several hours of the drive back to Texas. SITYS Dittos! – Mike * IBM OS/2 Software Support Center (Database), Austin, TX * * Ex-AX1 Sub Hunter P-3 (B/B-TACMOD/C) Orion Aircrew * * PP-ASEL, Motorglider Driver and Unlimited Air Race nut * * And now we know what it’s like to live in a Kakistocracy! *
In the early seventies there was a desigen involving a ford pinto where you could attach the airframe to the car and fly off it was a pusher and used a pto ftom the transmission to turn the prop dont know what happened to it but my guess is the feds killed it epa faa nhsc or one of those guyes that are there to help
Response:
And, I have no idea if this is relavent to the subject of flying cars, but the same issue November 1993, contained this news item… LOST SPENCER AIR CAR BUILDER’S SOUGHT When Robert Kerans purchased the Specer Aircar amphibian business, he at- tempted to to contact all existing builders, but many letters came back marked "undeliverable." If you are an Aircar builder and never received a letter from Robert Kerans please contact him by writing to Spencer Amphibian Aircraft, Box 327, Kansas, IL 61933 or calling 217/948-5505.
It is a bit misleading. The Spencer Air Car isn’t a roadable airplane or flying auto, but a very sweet amphib. design by P.H. Spencer (who, I was told, recently passed away … anyone know for sure?). "Spence" began flying before WWI (not a typo) and continued to fly as PIC until he was in his 90s. Even after he forfeited his "ticket," he continued to take rides in planes with other pilots who let him "hold the controls awhile" (from takeoff to landing). A great — and true — story is that Spence tried to ren a car from one of the agencies at LAX one day and was refused because the agent said he was too old. Spence grabbed the young rental agent by the collar, escorted him to the window, pointed out his Air Car, and informed him that he had designed, built, and flown (IFR) the plane into the airport that day. The agent got on the phone to his office and explained the situation, resulting in special arrangements for Spence to get his rental car. I have some photos I took of Spence & the Air Car at his hangar near LA … wish it hadn’t been at night & in tight quarters so the quality would have been better. A fine gentleman and a great loss to aviation, if the report is true. Another interesting bit of info just passed on to me is that another death of an aviation quasi-luminary occured recently. I was told that the guy who made the notorious lawn-chair-with-balloons flight committed suicide last week. Any confirmations? Bill
Response:
I was told that the guy who made the notorious lawn-chair-with-balloons flight committed suicide last week. Any confirmations?
That is confirmed. Or at least that’s what the newspapers said. Corky Scott
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