Flying cars have always been a fascinating concept that has captured the imagination of people for decades. The idea of being able to take off from the road and soar through the skies is both exciting and revolutionary. While flying cars have been the stuff of science fiction for many of us, but not for the two genius that turned a pinto into a flying car.
Henry Smolinski was the genius behind the AVE Mizar. He had this wild idea to take a Ford Pinto and combine it with a tiny plane to soar through the skies. Now, we all know the Pinto had some combustion problems, but it turned out to be even worse for Smolinski when he flew it. That dream of his quickly turned into a nightmare as the Pinto plummeted during a test flight.
Henry Smolinski and Hal Blake, both alumni of the Northrop Institute of Technology's aeronautical engineering school, embarked on a project to create a vehicle that could function as both a car and an airplane. Forming a company in Van Nuys, California, in 1971 called "Advanced Vehicle Engineers (AVE)," the pair decided to build a car/plane. Their vision was to construct a car that could be driven on regular roads to reach the airport, where it could transform into an aircraft by attaching the wings, tailfin, and motor. The car's internal controls would enable the pilot to operate all of the aircraft's control surfaces, facilitating its takeoff and flight like a conventional airplane. Well, that’s cool.
The prototypes of the Mizar were made by connecting the rear portion of a Cessna Skymaster to a Ford Pinto. The pod-and-twin-boom configuration of the Skymaster was a convenient starting point for a hybrid automobile/airplane. The passenger space and front engine of the Skymaster were removed, leaving an airframe ready to attach to a small car. AVE planned to have its own airframe purpose-built by a subcontractor for production models, rather than depending on Cessna for airframes.
Smolinski and Blake were total engineering wizards and they figured out how to make the Pinto's steering system work for flying airplanes. Crazy, right? So now you could steer left or right to change direction and push or pull the wheel to go up or down. Pretty sweet, if you ask me! The engineering team hooked up the Pinto's dash with flight stuff like the fuel pressure gauge, altimeter, and radio gear. And they added pedals at the pilot's feet to steer the rudder of the airplane.
During 1973, AVE commenced a series of taxi tests at Van Nuys Airport and arranged for flight tests to take place at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. The plan was to utilize both the car's and the aircraft's engines for takeoff, after which the car's engine could be turned off once the vehicle was airborne. With brakes installed on all four wheels, the Mizar had the capability to halt within a distance of less than 525 feet. Following this, the airframe parts could be detached, and the car could be driven away like a regular vehicle.
With plans to commence production in 1974, the initial selling price for the vehicle was set between $18,300 and $29,000, depending on the model. At present prices, this would translate to a range of $98,000 to $150,000, which is undoubtedly expensive.
The Pinto seemed like the perfect choice for a flying car with its lightweight construction. But once they added the airframe, it was a total disaster. September 11, 1973, during a test flight at Camarillo, Unfortunately, the pilot wasn't around for this test flight, so the Mizar creator Smolinski was at the controls. During the test, The wing folded because the pilot tried to turn the aircraft when the wing strut support failed. Smolinski and the Vice President of AVE, Harold Blake, unfortunately lost their lives in the resulting crash.
This fatal crash brought an end to both AVE and the Mizar project. Despite the Pinto being relatively lightweight, the overall weight of the aircraft without passengers or fuel already exceeded the certified gross weight of a Skymaster. However, apart from the subpar aircraft design and loose components, the National Transportation Safety Board attributed the crash to faulty welding. Evidently, the attachment of the right wing strut failed at a body panel of the Pinto.