OK. So we’ve gotten really good at moving an object quickly on four wheels – we’ve even installed hydraulic winglets on a car’s exterior shell for better aerodynamics. But what about the ability to fly? Has that notion been forgotten?
Not exactly. As it turns out, we’ve been at it for quite some time, thanks to a few brave engineers who looked towards the sky rather than at roads. The following 10 ‘flying cars’ aren’t the type we got used to in comic books and sci-fi films; they don’t have anti-gravity thrusters, fancy glass domes or special gull-wing doors. They are, in fact, powered by conventional means of modern flight, such as jet-engines, turbo-props or electric-powered air fans.
Waterman Arrowbile
(1937) Waterman Arrowbile
The stumpy-looking two-seater ‘Arrowbile’ wasn’t exactly what you’d call a flying car, since it still retained aircraft characteristics such as wings and a propeller. That said, it was the first “roadable” piece of flying machinery, thanks to its 120-horsepower air-cooled engine which powered the rear wheels. Unfortunately, due to lack of interest only five Arrowbiles were built, most of which reside in museums.
