"Steve Dufour" wrote in message
om...
Toronto Star

Software, GPS give flying car fresh momentum
And a Canadian is idea's big dreamer
Paul Moller worked on Avrocar saucer
---snip---

Good luck! It's about time. My first experience with this concept came from
the Co-founder of the Boeing School of Aeronautics a the now Oakland Airport
where Boeing rightly recognized the need to train people in the use and
maintenance of the evolving new miracle of transportation - the airplane. It
was mid depression and Gene Vidal under direction of the US Postmaster was
offering a prize to any company capable of manufacturing and airplane for a
cost of then $700.00.

As told to me by Allan F. Bonnalie, co-founder of the Boeing School of
Aeronautics: " The lack of popularity of the airplane for every family, like
automobile, was not entirely due to price. A good part of it was caused by
other things. As an experiment, we tacked this at the Boeing School. We
assumed it would be possible to develop a convertible car/airplane. This
would solve the problem of getting to and from the airport, and other things
as well. To this date, the problem continues (from notes dating 1972), and
in general aviation will not really develop its full potential until this
problem is solved.
We put the task to the aerodynamics class. We developed a design involving a
small four wheeled car for four passengers. It had a single engine that when
on the ground would drive the rear wheels, and when airborne would drive the
propeller. The wings and tail assembly locked onto the vehicle and could be
left at the airport or folded and towed behind the car when bad weather
prevented flying, or just to take home.
We built a small model and had an artist draw up simulated situations in
flight, towing wings and so forth. Our basic flight design included spoiler
flaps so that the pilot could determine a stopping point from the air, start
applying brakes while flying, touch down, and roll to a stop where he had
intended. We included counter-rotating propellers to minimize torque. The
whole concept was to make it very easy to fly.
The project was laid aside when it became apparent that the nation was
mobilizing toward a second war. It still has potential, and all it needs is
some enterprising company or individual with unlimited cash to put it
together."

My comments: Unfortunately no company will ever put anything like this on
the market because the instant somebody breaks a fingernail trying to open
the door to the cockpit will sue the bejesus out of the company. And to
think of a single inebriated pilot crashing and killing himself.... goodbye
company what with that 99% of lawyers who give the rest of them a bad name.

Wayne