Elon Musk Company Tesla’s new Roadster is in much discussion these days. Tesla recently showcased the new Roadster in a demonstration where the car lifted off the ground and performed stunts in the air. However, the company has not yet officially stated that this car can actually fly in the air for this long. According to Tesla, production of this new Roadster could begin by 2028.

The dream of a flying car is not a from today but is more than 100 years old. Many engineers and companies tried to make such a machine that could serve as both a car and an airplane when needed. Let us explore some of the notable historical efforts by engineers to develop a flying car.

First major experiment in the year 1917
American aircraft manufacturer Glenn Curtiss created the Curtiss Autoplane in 1917. It had a four-wheeled, car-like body and its wings could also be removed. This vehicle did take a few short hops, but is could not make a fully successful flight. Due to the outbreak of world war this project had to be stopeed. After this came the Aerobile in 1937. It was more successful compared to curtiss and also took flight, but due to a lack of customers in the market, it could not sell.

Taylor Aerocar also tried in the year 1950
In the 1950s, the Taylor Aerocar revived this hope again. In this year 1956, ir also received approval from the U.S. government. The vehicle could be driven on roads, and wings could be attached to it for flight. Despite getting government approval, it could not reach mass production. The problem was that while the technology was fine, there were many challenges related to safety and practically in everyday use.

Project became a victim of an accident
In the 1970s, Henry Smolinski built a strange machine named AVE Mizar. In this a Ford Pinto car was joined with the wings and engine of a Cessna aircraft. But during a test flight in 1973,  this vehicle crashed and Smolinski died. After this Paul Moller envisioned a vertical takeoff and landing car through the skycar. Work went on for decades on this, but it too could not reach the market for use by the general public.