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We Support Our Troops! For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT: Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
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 Waldo Dean Waterman (1894-1976) was the first to create a functional flying car. He was an airplane engineer with a flair for creative design. Figuring that most people couldn’t afford both an airplane and a car, and believing that the car was a necessity of modern life, Waterman set out to build a car that could be turned into an airplane. The result was the “Arrowbile,” a small plane with wings that could be detached in a few minutes. Much of the vehicle was made with standard car parts, and in fact a normal Studebaker engine powered the wheels (when in car mode) and the propeller (when in airplane mode). Any vehicle in this class came to be called "aerobiles".
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Plans of the "Arrowbile"
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In 1911, Waldo Waterman of Santa Monica, California, was first inspired with the idea of the tailless roadable airplane by a remark that pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss made about how nice it would be to drive his amphibian aircraft away from the landing field or water. In 1932, Waterman designed and test flew a Kinner-powered tailless low-wing pusher that was nicknamed "Whatsit" by bystanders who were puzzled by the strange configuration of the airplane. The "Whatsit," was the test bed that led to the Arrowplane.
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The "Whatsit"
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Upon completion in May 1932, the Whatsit was taxi tested at various speeds on the ground and several abortive attempts were made to fly it during May and June, with some resulting damage. After repairs, Waterman made the first test flight in July 1932. It was immediately  apparent that the pitch stability of the airplane was somewhat limited because of the short coupling relationship of the engine thrust line to the aerodynamic center of pressure location that was inherent in the low-mounted swept-wing tailless configuration. Some flights were made with an adjustable horizontal stabilizer in front for trim purposes, but elevons provided lateral and longitudinal controls. In October, the Whatsit was nearly destroyed in a landing accident with another test pilot, and a serious reevaluation of the project indicated that major configuration changes would be required to make the aircraft safe for the intended customer, the novice pilot. These considerations, along with the chronic shortage of funding, led to the decision to place the airplane in storage. Waterman began flying for Transcontinental and Western Airlines (T&WA).
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"Whatsit, too" In 1933, Eugene Vidal, Chief of the Bureau of Air Commerce, issued a challenge to U.S. aircraft manufacturers to design and build a safe and inexpensive airplane for the man on the street. When Waterman reviewed Vidal's "Safe Airplane" specifications he was amazed to find how closely they followed his work in the three years of development on the Whatsit, so he left the airline and revived the project. After making design improvements, he flew the Whatsit again in February 1934, and, with this new test data, he decided to redesign it completely. The result was the new Arrowplane. To eliminate the pitch stability problem, the swept wing was moved to the high shoulder location with the engine thrust line more nearly in line with the aerodynamic center of pressure. It had a reliable Menasco 4 cylinder aircraft engine. The tricycle landing gear was improved with a steerable nose wheel and the vertical fins/rudders were moved directly to the wing tips. It was built in record time, being completed in May 1935, test flown and delivered to the Bureau of Air Commerce in July 1935. The Waterman Arrowplane and the Hammond Y, the Bureau's other winner, both had cabins configured with auto-like simplicity in their appointments, controls, instrumentation and cabin entry doors and were the only two to receive awards.
"Arrowbile"
The first Arrowbile was completed and flown by Waldo Waterman on February 21, 1937. It proved very stable, impossible to spin, stall, or acrobatically fly in any way, yet it possessed all the maneuverability required for normal flying. Turns could be made up to a vertical bank and no skidding was prevalent. The Arrowbile was a two-control aircraft; all controls being linked to the cockpit. A foot and parking brake along with an accelerator were the only controls on the floorboard, these being designed for surface use only.
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Arrowbile #2" |
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Five Arrowbiles were built. Three Arrowbiles attempted a flight from Santa Monica to Ohio but one had to turn back after only reaching Arizona. The other two finished the flight. Arrowbile No. 6 (No. 5 was never completed) is on display at the Smithsonian Institute.
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Arrowbile #2 without wings |
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 Arrowbile #6 |
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Waldo taking Amelia Earhart for a spin in an Arrowbile (Aerobile) still under construction above, various versions of the Arrowbile below
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More on the "Arrowbile" may be found here:
http://www.earlyaviators.com/ewaterma.htm
http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/waterman.htm
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