Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

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Mattel
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My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by Mattel »

When your car is named after a bird...

Tercel is the name of a Male Hawk. Literal translation
found on the internet

I want to know more...
59614856_2311130008933286_2673690830513897472_o.jpg
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Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by Petros »

where did you find that picture? I had actually proposed something like that some years ago on this forum, when DARPA (defense advanced research program agency) was requesting ideas to make lightweight and efficient ground vehicles with limited VTOL and range to allow light air strikes from local roads.

This one looks more like a movie prop than an actually helicopter.

looks like it is in the USA, midwest somewhere perhaps?
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Mattel
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Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:11 am
My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by Mattel »

Hi Petros. I downloaded off a Facebook page for the AE95 Corolla wagon. But it had no more information or the photographers details. Now you mention it. I can't imagine it working. The Tercel body would be to heavy I would imagine for this purpose and their are a lot of details missing. It does look like their is a for sale sign in the window though.
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by Petros »

that rotor is just a wooden plank, it is not foil shaped and clearly not strong enough to lift up a vehicle. also the rotor head is just a wood mock up, it does not have the dozen or so precision pivot points, push rods and swash plate necessary for a working rotor head. Helicopters are very complex flying machines, even small "simple" ones have to have lots of detailed moving parts for them to work, and they take LOTS of power. it could be made to work, but it would need massive engine (and fuel tank) to get it off the ground.

looks like a movie prop, or perhaps something to put on the roof of a restaurant or something similar. Yard art perhaps.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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ALiveSR5
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My tercel:: Was a stock 1985, SR5, 4WD, 6-speed manual, Wagon.
Location: Pennsylvania USA

Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by ALiveSR5 »

Mattel wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:58 pm When your car is named after a bird...

Tercel is the name of a Male Hawk. Literal translation
found on the internet
Since Tercels and helicopters are two of my favorite vehicles, having a working one of these would be absolutely awesome :!: I and my Tercelicopter could fly off to Nevernever Land and live happily ever after (as long as I could get needed supplies - but you guys would send what I needed, right? Or join me. :wink: )
No other vehicle that I have ever owned had a heart and soul like my 1985 Tercel SR5 4WD Wagon. :D
~
Great minds may think alike but it is the doers who see their visions become reality. :?
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dlb
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Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by dlb »

Wow, that's funny. I wonder what the story is. I think Petros is right, it's just for show, but man that's a lot of work for something that doesn't actually do anything.
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ALiveSR5
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My tercel:: Was a stock 1985, SR5, 4WD, 6-speed manual, Wagon.
Location: Pennsylvania USA

Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by ALiveSR5 »

Not a Tercel wagon body but this one flies. :)

Tercel two place gyrocopter:
~
Image
~
Source: http://www.airgyro.com/page3/Tercel.html
No other vehicle that I have ever owned had a heart and soul like my 1985 Tercel SR5 4WD Wagon. :D
~
Great minds may think alike but it is the doers who see their visions become reality. :?
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by Petros »

there was once an Aerospace Engineer, also a WW2 pilot, named Molt Taylor, who designed a number of home built kits in the 1950', 60's add 70's. He also got the only fully FAA certified flying car, known as the Aerocar. they only produced about 7 or 8, but changing auto regulations killed it for production (made it too heavy, stupid 5 mph bumper requirment). Seems the dream of a flying car has been around for a long time, there have been many home built ones, several attempts at production, none really successful. I met Molt in about 1987 before he passed away, at an airshow of all things. he had the idea to get around the auto regs by adapting a light weight car to attach removable wings. he had a cool model of a Honda CRX with wings attached to the roof. I have a picture of it somewhere, I can not find it on the internet. I had an old rusty CRX parts car, not safe to put on the road, that I thought of making in to a flying car. but the problems are very large, even a light weight car the CRX (about 1700 lbs) was too heavy, and you have to find a way to strip away about 800 lbs or more, in addition to putting a much more powerful engine in it, to make it viable.

I asked Molt why he did not just go to a three wheeled vehicle, it would be considered a motorcycle (limited to 2 seats) and would not require all the heavy safety equipment. He wanted it to be as much like a normal car as possible, which is what killed it, because of DOT rules for road vehicles. that would not really stop a home builder with a specil vehcile permit, but his idea was to make a commuter aircraft more viable for ordinary ownership. a special car, let alone the cost of a light plane, is a pretty costly thing that not a lot of people can afford. but the idea is still alive and much embraced by many.

I like hanging around the Experimental Aircraft Association fly-ins. it is really refreshing to be around people building airplanes in their garage and basements. it is done almost regulation free, not much in life like that anymore. I got to know a lot of really inventive people at these fly-ins, home built vertical take off "cars" that use ducted fans for lift, flying boats, tailless aircraft, really creative concepts not seen elsewhere. I have a delusional fantasy of building a small aircraft of my own design, but I do not think I have the disapline to complete a project that will take that long to build. but I still like the idea of doing it.

attached is a picture of someone idea of a flying car. not likely it worked very well, too heavy. having a Tercel4wd that could to this would make the ultimate off road vehicle;
flying pinto.jpg
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'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Petros
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Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Flying Cars are here.. in your driveway actually

Post by Petros »

here is a picture I found of Molt Taylor, near the end of his life, in front of his Aerocar (in a museum). It is hard to see here, but he is holding a model of a honda CRX (the red part), with attached removable wings and tail boom.
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'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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