Flying Cars
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 From
1935 we have the giro-car; not quite a helicopter, not quite a car
either. In fact, it isn't even a helicopter at all, but a
gyrocopter. The rotors aren't powered, but provide
lift like a sort of rotating wing. What this means on the upshot
is that in order to get airborne you need a good running start.
If you saw that James
Bond film you know what I'm
talking about.The Pitcairn Autogiro company was commissioned by the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce to come up with a combination autogyro and motor car. Why? I don't know and I'm too frightened to speculate. At any rate, the popular magazines envisioned that the end product would look like a natty little streamlined roadster with rotors that folded back neat and tidy-- and hopefully not too long or the red rag tied on the end of the blades would tend to dampen the air of joie de vie. Of course, what the Pitcairn Autogiro people actually came up with was, shall we say, less impressive and distinctly aeroplane-like.
The Pitcairn machine is the one with the propeller, if you hadn't guessed. |
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