A company designed a flying car called the Mizar around a Ford Pinto and a the wings, tail and pusher engine of a Cessna Skymaster.
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Here is the promo video for this intrepid product:
The designer Smolinski and his associate, Harold Blake, were killed in the resulting fiery crash. See the wiki page HERE. It’s reported there were 2 completed and 3 others under construction. I wonder if under some dusty cover somewhere there is another the Mizar Air Car?
Blogsite with more information and newspaper clippings: The Flying Pinto That Killed It’s Inventor
Mizar flying car makes a famous list: TIMES’s List of 50 Worst Inventions Ever. Funny thing is the Pinto is listed twice, once with the Mizar and once all by itself.
The Aircraft/Car dream has been attempted many times, maybe you remember the Moller Skycar. Like so many others, it offered great promise to investors yet is reported to have never done anything but tethered hover tests in 2003. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against this or any other concept. In fact, I have some “kook in the garage” sketches of my own ideas for a garage-able flying car. I don’t doubt any nut-crackers* sincerity here, just recognizing the useful and acceptable shape of a car isn’t a very friendly shape for an aircraft.
Moller Skycar Tests:
Story: Is Moller on the Ropes?
A link to Moller International is not provided as my computer warned me of a virus threat when i tried to visit it.
nut-cracker; In this context, person with sincere desire to solve a difficult problem.
