The Curtiss-Wright's Air Car - A vintage built!

In the 21st century, inventions and technologies make man whatever he dreamt, either inside or outside the earth. Although in the early 60s, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, an Arms industry company, invented the new car, which feels us crazy but more creative, the main moto is that this car is designed especially for the militaries in the past days after WWII.
 
As per the order to develop an all-terrain troop transport (both amphibious and roadcraft), passed by the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) in 1959, Curtiss-Wright Corporation fabricated a car named Model 2500 Air Car - a car with no wheels!!

An Air Car!!

Absolutely yes, It's an Air Car, which hovers using ground effect theory.

What is ground effect theory?
It's nothing but a technique to lift the object using downforce aerodynamics while the vehicle or crafts are closer to the ground. Simply saying, it's a cushioning effect that helps to hover above the ground.

This Air Car has powered by dual aircraft engines with 180 horsepower each from Lycoming Engines, a famous aircraft engine manufacturer in America. Air Car build was like a rectangular box (blocky body) design with the convertible cabin at the center because two heavy-sized rotors with those engines have placed, one in front and the other in the rear from the passenger's seating. The overall dimension of this Air Car is 21 feet in length, 7 feet in height, and 8 feet in width.

                             
 

The operating mechanism was quite interesting! Why because it's a hovercar, instead of wheels, this car has variable ducts at each corner, and the air from the rotors has directed to these ducts, which have assisted using a steering wheel with a boat-like throttle. The steering wheel helps to control the propulsion, direction, and braking by controlling the ducts' angle, and the throttle helps to vary the engine speed.

 

                             
 

These aircraft engines lift the vehicle from 6 to 12 inches from the ground level. Its weight is around 2770lbs, with that it can transport a payload of 1000lbs and achieves speed up to 38mph, not only over the land also on water surfaces.

U.S. Army test two Air Cars for two months, but the engineers and pilots come with unsatisfactory results because of its size and shape this car faces more conflicts while climbing slopes and moving in rugged terrains. Also, it sounds too louder because of the aircraft engine in front and back. The Curtiss-Wright corporation tries to bring this Air Car (named Bee) to the public, but the saddest thing is, it stopped before starting the production.
References: thedrive.com
                    medium.com

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