by Andrew Glass
Missing Link, 39
Mizar, 96
Model T (Tin Lizzie), 28, 29
Moller, Paul, 92, 92
motorcycles
Curtiss speed record, 18, 18–19
Douglass Twin, and Fulton, 64–66, 65, 70
flying, and Minnick, 78
Museum of Flight, 88
Mustang, 86, 86
mythology, flying in, 1, 1–2
N
navigation technology, 77, 90, 93, 96
newspapers
Bridgeport Herald, 8, 9
Dallas Morning News, 94
Miami Herald, 83
NewYork Herald, 5, 14, 15, 15
NewYork Times, 12, 20, 62, 95
Noguchi, Isamu, 48, 49, 51
O
Owls Head Transportation Museum, 55
P
PAL-V Europe NV, 90
PAL-V ONE, 90, 90
Pan-American Aeronautic Exposition, 22, 22
patents
drawings, 3, 11, 17
first U.S. for flying car, 26
number for flying cars, 26
Pitcairn legal battle, 43
periscope, 50
Piasecki, Frank N., 91
Piasecki Aircraft, 93. See also Air Jeep
pilot’s license, first, 20, 20
Pinto, 96
Pitcairn, Harold, 36–37, 43. See also Autogiro
Pitcairn Aviation, 39, 41
Plane-Mobile (Plane-Auto), 71–75, 72, 73, 74, 78
Porter, Vernon, 94, 94
propeller-driven car, 15, 16
propellers
counter-rotating, 7
danger or havoc from, 15, 80
detachable, 67, 68, 78, 79–80
folding, 89
front-mounted, 12, 12, 36, 37, 41, 57, 57, 58
rear-mounted, 23, 26, 27, 31, 51, 53, 80
twin, 7, 8
underside, 26, 27
propwash, 80
Pullman Railplane, 52
R
radio, 1, 26, 77, 81, 85
Ray, James G., 37, 38, 41, 42
Reitsch, Hanna, 42
rescue vehicles, 93–94
Research Airport, 90
Roadable (SAC Aerocar), 57–58, 58
Roadable Airplane, 56–57, 57
roads
highway system, 87, 88
poor conditions, 18, 21, 29, 29
as runways, 73, 75
Robinson, Art, 78
Rogers, Will, 30
Roosevelt, Pres. Franklin D., 31
rotors. See also ducted-fan technology
contra-rotating, 91
folding, 41, 90
front and back, enclosed, 91, 92. See also Air Jeep.
overhead, 36, 37, 43, 90, 91. See also Autogiro; PAL-V ONE.
tilting, 41
rudder
control of, 33, 80
coordination with ailerons, 71–72
function, 44, 71–72
lever to engage, 82
S
SAC Aerocar (Roadable), 57–58, 58
Salon de l’aviation conference, 24
San Diego Aerospace Museum, 63
Scarab, 53, 53–55, 54
Science Academy of Paris, 11
Scientific American Trophy, 19, 19
Scootacar, 34
Sikorsky, Igor, 42
Skycar (by Moller), 92, 92
Skycar (by Stout), 52, 52–53, 55
Sky Flivver, 30, 30
Smithsonian, 43, 70
Smolinski, Henry, 96
Southern Aircraft, 57–58
Spratt, George, 55
Spratt Controlwing, 55
Spratt Stout Aircar, 55
spring-powered flying machine, 2
stalls, 32, 72, 81, 90
Stearman-Hammond Company, 32
steering
bending the wings, 8
control of propellers’ speed, 8
direct control of each rotor, 41
joystick-type, 58
nose wheel for, 31
rear wheel for, 8, 49
shifting pilot’s weight, 8
steering wheel, 33, 44, 66, 71, 80, 81
wheel yoke, 33
Stinson Reliant, 66
Stokowski, Leopold, 50
Stout, William Bushnell “Bill,” 35, 52–53, 55, 55
streamlining, 49, 51, 53, 88
Studebaker Corporation, 32, 33
Sweeney, Ed, 89
T
tail
divided or twin, 54, 57, 58, 58
fan-shaped, 8
flaps on, 37
foldable, 8
pedals to control, 3
removable, 58
vertical, 21
Y-shaped, 80
Tampier, René, 23, 78
Taylor, Moulton B. “Molt,” 88. See also Aerocar
background, 76–77, 78
kits by, 88, 89
navigation innovations by, 77
perseverance, 84–85, 88
and Sweeney, 89
Taylor, Mrs., 84
Taylor AirPhone, 77
technological innovations
in navigation, 77, 90, 93, 96
twentieth century, 1, 56, 76, 77
television, 77, 84–85
Terrafugia, 90, 90
Thompson, Tommy, 57
Toyota Prius, 96
Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA), 32, 35
transcontinental flights, 39–40
Transformer TX, 92, 92–93
Transition, 90, 90
Triad, 20
Tri-Motor, 52
U
Urban Aeronautics Ltd., 93
U.S. Army, 91
U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce, 31, 32, 41
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 87, 88
V
vertical takeoff, 41, 90, 92, 94
Vidal, Eugene L., 31
Vidal Safety Airplane Competition, 31–32, 71, 78
Vuia 1. See aéroplane-automobile
Vuia 2, 16
Vuia, Trajan, 11–17, 13, 17
W
Waterman, Waldo
Arrowbile, 33, 33–35, 34, 35
Arrowplane, 32
inspiration from Curtiss, 20, 31
Whatsit, 31–32, 32, 34
Waterman Airplane Corporation, 32
Weisskopf, Gustav Albin. See Whitehead, Gustave
Whatsit, 31–32, 32, 34
wheels
four, 59, 67, 81
independent suspension, 81
removable back, 24
retractable, 72, 86, 87
rubber tires, 15, 67, 78, 86
three, 31, 32, 34, 34, 57, 72, 90, 94
to tow retracted wings, 82, 83
wood, 8
and the Wright brothers, 17
Whitaker, Stanley, 71, 72
Whitehead, Gustave
background, 5–6
and claim of first flight, 10, 76
Condor 21, 6, 7, 7–8, 9, 10
gliders by, 5, 5–6
Whitehead, Rose, 7
windows and windshield, 21, 22, 29, 81
wing construction
canvas over bamboo poles, 7
cloth over wood frame, 3
feathers and wax, 2
inflatable, 49
silk over steel/aluminum tubing, 9–10
wings
articulated, 55
bendable or foldable, 8, 16, 17, 17, 26, 27, 53, 74, 94
construction. See wing construction.
double, 12, 46, 46, 76
flexible “floating,” 72
independent flight module, 59, 59, 60, 62
overhead, 31–32, 80
removable, 33, 33, 55, 57, 58, 67
single vs. double, 12
swept-wing (low-wing), 31, 32
towing the, 82, 83, 89
triple, 22
World War I, 24–25, 76
World War II, 35, 54, 56
Wright, Orv
ille and Wilbur, 10, 13, 17, 76
Wright Aeronautical, 25
Wrigley, Philip, 54
Y
Yoeli, Rafi, 93
Y-1 Machine, 32
“You Can’t Catch Me,” 84
Z
Zuck, Daniel, 71–75, 72
About the Author
ANDREW GLASS has authored and illustrated many books for young readers inspired by tall tales and American legends. Flying Cars is his first nonfiction project. In the course of his research, he visited museums and archives and consulted aeronautical engineers, wheels-to-wings historians, descendants of inventors, and modern-day inventors. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.