Evening star., 1934-01-14
FLYING MOTORCA /
SEENBY ENGINEERS
Blending Of Land With Air.
craft Accelerated With
Aerodynamic Design. il
BY FRxDER1CK G. HussELI.

When will the automobile b able
to ny?
Recent developments In cars, coupled
with those In the fleld Of aviation, sug-
gest that the flying automobile = no
longer an idle dream. Already tho au-
tomobile has realized it, earthly limita-
tions. Already the airplane has acquired
capacity for greater adaptability to land
ing restrictions. Both vehicles are tend
ing to overlap each others nelds. Many
are asking. when VIII We have . COM
bination craft capable Of being maneu-
vered through tzanic - easily - It can
wing through the aira"
Tho addition Of airplane desisners
and inventors To the engineering stans
Of leading automobile companies ID .
straw In the wind When the designer
Of an amphibian aircraft was engaged by
one of the Detroit companies 1t was
announced that the nrm was not con-
templating going into the manufacture
of aircraft. The alternative conclusion
is that the automobile has become 30
akin to the airplane that It now requires
airplane engineering genius to push 1t
to q higher state Of development.
Combination Il visisned.
With the automobile leaning 80 plain
freely predicted that Q combination Of
the two types Of craft Is not improbable.
Meanwhile the motoring public may look
ments in car design. The "take-on" Of
the automobile will not be sudden de-
velopment, but Q gradual evolution,
which has already made obvious strides.
The modern car now has more speed
than the average driver can use. Most
important Is its impressive acceleratton.
with the more general use OF lighter
materials and reduction In weight 1t
may be possible to increase acceleration
to o point where q car could take on
with tho aid Of wings. The trend =
toward keeping engine dzes down, but
II lighter material were more generally
used, cars could deliver their present
type OF performance with marked de-
creaseS In engine output.
Developments In streamlning have
reached q point where the automobile
is slowly acquiring the form It VIII need
for flying purposes. The public has
been q,fick to appreciate the difference
between design that has q reason and
that which aims merely toward the
bizarre. For many years one Of the
finest European cars has been onereo
with rear springs that showed through
the aprons. Royalty let their skirts
brush over these springs, but found no
fault with them. There was such
marked riding ease, as result OF the
use Of the particular kind OF cantt-
lever spring, that users accepted such
design as Q necessary accessory TO COM
fort.
Aviation Touch Hailed.
Because the aeroplane is viewed IS
being a more modern invention than
the automobile anything that looks like
an aviation touch Is hailed with en-
thusiasm when it appears on an auto
mobile. If 1t isn't plane-like 1t isn't
modern enough for the automobile.
That is the new psychology to aid the
development Of the flying car.
Airplane designers are radical IN their
engineering conceptions. They have
dared the impossible 50 many times 1t
will be second nature for them to steer
the automobile into new and novel
lines. Within the next few years auto
mobiles should not only look very differ.
ent but be radically changed mechan-
ically. Those who have their ears TO
the ground declare that the develop
ment of Independent springing and
doughnut tires prophecy the day when
the automobile viii be able to land on
rough ground without jolttng the occu-
pants. Most cars are impervious to the
usual rough road. Is 1t unreasonable
to assume that they are already capa-
Bile of withstanding some Of the shock
incident to landing.
While it is true that but q small
percentage of automobile operators
would be able to qualify for the more
responsible post Of handling q flying
craft it is entirely possible that with
increased experience in driving great
many more persons would be able to
fiy by the time this becomes q reality.
Many families would own flying cars
although possibly only one member
would be qualified to take the craft into
the air.