Waterman Aerobile-it's a car, it's a plane

[rockne10]

Studebaker engine.


I thought there was a topic posted about this several years ago but the "SEARCH" produced no results.

Didn't Bob Cummings drive one of these in his TV show of the fifties?

http://aerofiles.com/waterman.html

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

[DEEPNHOCK]

Here's some info from another Stude forum...
(copy)
Studebaker's 5 Arrobiles: Where Re They Now???
(Forwarded by Jeff Rice with one BIG question 2/20/2007)

http://cutandpasteaviation.blogspot.com/2007/02/milestones-of-flight-220.html

(Note: Timeline snipped for brevity)
1937 - The first successful automobile-airplane combination was complete and ready for testing.
The first flight took place the next day, February 21, 1937. Built by the Westerman Arrowplane Corporation of Santa Monica, Cal., the vehicle was dubbed the Arrowbile, and claimed a top air-speed of 120 mph and 70 mph on a highway. Designed by aeroengineer Waldo Dean Waterman (1894-1976), it evolved from the prototype Arrowplane, a project to design a simple, easy to fly, low cost airplane. Stall- and spin-proof, its simplicity of operation was underscored when DoC's John Geisse, with only 35 hours' flight experience, flew one back to Washington DC in his business suit. The Studebaker Corporation, which supplied the 100 hp engines, eventually took delivery of five Arrowbiles. The Arrowbile was revived briefly in 1958 as Aerobile with a Tucker auto engine (Franklin converted to liquid-cooled).

And some further reading....

http://www.aviation-history.com/garber/vg-bldg/waterman_aerobile-1_f.html

http://www.roadabletimes.com/roadables-integ_watr_halok.html

http://aerofiles.com/waterman.html

[rockne10]

One on display at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center
Boeing Aviation Hangar.

[Chris Pile]

Someone should fly one to a Stude meet.

Chris Pile
Midway Chapter SDC
The Studebaker Special

[bondobilly]

Is that a plane from Flight Simulator or did you create it.?

[JRoberts]

What Studebaker engine did they use? I would have thought that any Studebaker engine in the '30's that produced 100 horsepower would have been incredibly heavy for this application.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[Dick Steinkamp]

[showbizkid]

And playing the part of Leonard tonight is Dick Steinkamp!!!!



[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by showbizkid

And playing the part of Leonard tonight is Dick Steinkamp!!!!

I figured there HAD to be one time in my life when I either had some Studebaker memorabilia that Leonard DIDN'T have (unlikely), OR that I was faster.

[JBOYLE]

quote:
Didn't Bob Cummings drive one of these in his TV show of the fifties?

No, Bob Cummings drove a Taylor Aerocar. It's a bit more car-like with a detachable rear fuselage (and wings) with a pusher prop in back of the tail.

There's one for sale in Trade-a-Plane (the airplane version of Hemmings) for $3.5 million.
Looks like Bob should have kept his...

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[lstude]

quote:I figured there HAD to be one time in my life when I either had some Studebaker memorabilia that Leonard DIDN'T have (unlikely), OR that I was faster.

You got me on this one. I have never heard of this!

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

[bondobilly]

quote:Originally posted by JRoberts

What Studebaker engine did they use? I would have thought that any Studebaker engine in the '30's that produced 100 horsepower would have been incredibly heavy for this application.

If I remember what Tom and Dave Shrock told me, as they make a model/toy of this plane, they used a Champion engine, but I believe they used a magneto rather than a distributor, that I could be mistaken on.

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by bondobilly

If I remember what Tom and Dave Shrock told me, as they make a model/toy of this plane, they used a Champion engine, .

...but, there wasn't a Champion engine in 1937.

[Guido]

quote:Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp

quote:Originally posted by bondobilly

If I remember what Tom and Dave Shrock told me, as they make a model/toy of this plane, they used a Champion engine, .

...but, there wasn't a Champion engine in 1937.

The ad twice shows and mentions employees working on a Dictator engine.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful" and real Studebaker horsepower lives

See pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/user/GuidoSalvage

Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond, Goochland & Louisa, Va.

[Studebaker Wheel]

If y'all want the "rest of the story" you may wish to read the August 1988 TW Almanac and the March 1989 issue as well. In addition there will be a piece on it in the upcoming July TW.

Top photo Paul G. Hoffman (left) and Georger Keller. Bottom picture Waldo Waterman with his creation.

Richard Quinn
editor: Antique Studebaker Review