Wagner Aerocar

Summary

The Wagner FJ-V3 Aerocar was a prototype 4-place flying automobile. The vehicle used counter-rotating rotor helicopter technology for flight.

Wagner Aerocar
Role
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Wagner
Designer Alfred Vogt
First flight 1965
Introduction 1965
Developed from HTM Skytrac
Variants HTM Skytrac

Design edit

The Aerocar was developed in the era of space-age futurism, and looked the part. It looked slightly like the Jetsons flying car, with a large bubble cockpit, tailfins, and disproportionately small wheels for a car. It was developed from the Rotocar III design which was based on the Sky-trac 3 helicopter. The helicopter used counter-rotating rotors. On ground propulsion to the wheels was through a hydraulic linkage to the engine.[1]

Operational history edit

A prototype with the registration D-HAGU was completed and flown in 1965.[2] The Franklin 6AS-335-B engine was replaced with a 134lb, 420shp Turbomeca Oredon turbine engine with a front-mounted gearbox. The design was sold to Helikopter Technik München (HTM). HTM suspended development of the Aerocar in 1971.

Variants edit

HTM Skytrac

Specifications Wagner Aerocar edit

General characteristics

  • Capacity: 4
  • Powerplant: 1 × Franklin , 190 kW (260 hp)

Performance

References edit

  1. ^ "Resources and Information". Unrealaircraft.com. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  2. ^ Air pictorial journal of the Air League, Volume 30.

External links edit