Waterman Aerobile (oz1661)

About this Plan

Waterman Aerobile. Scale pusher tailless model. Designed for CL or possible RC. For .45 to .60 power.

Quote: "A COLORFUL PAGE in aviation history is occupied by the Waterman Aerobile, or 'flying automobile'. Many of flying's pioneers dreamed of an airplane that could drive through the streets like an automobile or soar cross-country on its wings. Two men, Molt Taylor and his Aerocar and Waldo Waterman with his Aerobile, came close to making that dream a commercial success. A limited production of the Aerocar was undertaken during the 1950's.

Mr Waterman, a capable aircraft designer, worked actively for over 20 years on his craft, flying a total of six. The final version first flown in 1957 is modeled here.

The full-scale Aerobile carried three passengers. It had a one-piece 38-ft. detachable wing. Power was a Tucker automobile engine, driving the propeller, or the wheels if on the ground. Top airspeed was 120 mph, landing sped 45 mph. As an automobile, it had a top ground speed of 70 mph and was licensed for highway operation in California.

The model is a little larger than 1/7 scale, having a 67-in. wingspan. It weighs 7-1/2 lb and is powered by a K&B 45 RC engine, turning in an 11-in dia pusher prop. The J Roberts three-line control system provides engine throttle control. A battery-powered electric motor drives the wheels to demonstrate its automotive characteristics. The working headlight is controlled by a switch on the instrument panel.

The model is quite stable, although a little less weight or more power could be used. One unusual flying characteristic, caused by the line leadout location, should be mentioned. To avoid spoiling the scale effect by having leadout supports below the wing or by locating a bellcrank inside the cabin, the wires exit directly from the wing leading edge, well above the center of gravity. This causes the model to fly with a noticeable bank into the turn, which adds to the scale effect in slow level flight, but decidedly unnerves old control-line pilots.

How Terry Aldrich came to model the Aerobile is a story in itself..."

Update 16/01/2017: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy and also added article pages, thanks to theshadow.

Hi Mary/Steve - Here is a cleaner scan and the article for Robert Angel's Aerobile plan id 1661. The model was featured on the magazine cover as shown.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages.

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