Designer Ted Hall built his Convair Model 116 flying car prototype by attaching a small airplane including wings, tail, and propeller to a car. The airplane components could be removed, leaving a vehicle that functioned like a normal car. The Model 116 made its maiden flight in 1946 and the flying car completed 66 flights during its testing phase.
The following year, Convair created an upgraded version of the flying car (two prototypes), the Model 118 ConvAirCar. The company enhanced the engine from the 130-horsepower mill used in the Model 116 to a 190-horsepower engine giving it a significant boost in power for flight. The car was built with a fiberglass body to keep the vehicle light for maximum airborne transport and improve fuel efficiency on the road. The wings, engine, and propeller affixed to the top of the car were removed when not in use and towed behind the car. The Model 118 offered one hour of flight and a ground mileage of 45 miles per gallon while seating one pilot and three passengers (via Vintage News Daily).
Convair scheduled 160,000 Model 118 units for its first production run with a projected $1,500 price tag (via Vintage News). However, the crash of one prototype in California changed the company’s plans. The tragedy occurred when the pilot took off assuming a single fuel tank (that was full) fed both the plane engine and the car engine. However, the fuel tank for the plane engine ran dry in mid-flight while the car fuel tank still read full. After the accident, the second prototype was rebuilt with components from the first aircraft and flown, but a loss of enthusiasm ended the program shortly thereafter.
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