Aerocar

During a trip to Delaware, he met inventor Robert E. Fulton, Jr., who had designed an earlier roadable airplane, the Airphibian, with detachable wings.

Taylor's prototype, the Aerocar, utilized folding wings that allowed the road vehicle to be converted into flight mode in five minutes by one person.

When operated as an aircraft, the road transmission was left in neutral (though backing up during taxiing was possible by the using the reverse gear).

[3] An early-1950s "Industry on Parade" film shows Taylor driving and piloting his Aerocar, as well as footage of manufacture.

This aircraft is featured flying overhead on the cover on the book "A Drive In the Clouds" by Jake Schultz.

[9] The aircraft was damaged after landing on a rural road when a startled horse ran in front of the wing.

Several pilots provided the AIRWATCH service beginning with World War II veteran pilot Guilford Wikander, President of Wik's Air Service, Inc. Guilford was followed in order by his sister Ruth Wikander, W. John Jacob, Wayne Nutsch[11] and Alan Maris.

Scotty Wright reports Nutsch having 350 flying hours in N103D performing AIRWATCH duty.

During the Aerocar's AIRWATCH missions, it was painted white with red hearts[12] and had the letters KISN on the top and bottom of the wings.

In 1962 Ruth Wikander drove the Aerocar as an automobile while trailering the wings in the annual Portland Rose Festival parade.

[2] The sixth Aerocar (N4345F), Moulton Taylor's final flying car effort, is red with silver wings.

It began as one of the original Aerocars, which Taylor bought back from a customer when it was damaged in an accident on the ground in the 1960s.

The propeller driveshaft contains fine ball bearings that swing outward with centrifugal force, creating stiffness and damping.

1954 Taylor Aerocar Serial Number 3 registered as N101D