By Peter Tanshanomi
In the responses to last Friday’s Hooniverse Asks, several of you brought up aircraft or aircraft engines built by automotive manufacturers. Today, I’d like to start our week by exploring this connection further. Let’s list all the automotive-aviation connections we can.
The Caveats (there are always caveats):
- Engines, airframes, avionics, and all other airborne products and components are all good, but they must all be from a manufacturer that is/was a producer of complete automobiles, trucks or motorcycles in-house, rather than the other way around (i.e., an aircraft manufacturer who made components of some sort for cars).
- Concept cars, prototypes and race cars are are acceptable, but not third-party customs.
- Trucks, both light and heavy-duty, are allowed, as long as they are road-legal. No construction machinery, mining equipment, snowmobiles, tractors or lawn mowers.
Difficulty: 1080 micro-farads per feet per second per point of contact.
How This Works: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates! Bonus points for adding photos.
Image Sources: airlinereporter.com & wikipedia.org.
Robert Crespo 
Jeff Glucker 
Kamil Kaluski
Is Subaru an edge case here? While Fuji does most of the heavy lifting on aircraft it’s hard to argue that they’re particularly separate.
Same sort of deal with Mitsubishi, they worked on a lot of the same planes during WWII but they’re not really the ‘same company.’
The relationships between Japanese companies are amusingly complex. Fuji Heavy Industries is a corporate conglomerate that includes Subaru as a subsidiary, they have manufactured numerous aircraft since the 60s, including jet and turboprop trainers, helicopters, and UAVs. FHI itself was formed from the remnants of the forced dissolution of the Nakajima zaibatsu after WWII, which manufactured many aircraft including the B5M “Kate” torpedo bomber.
Mitsubishi is a keiretsu which includes both Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors was a subsidiary of MHI until 1970. MHI has built military and civilian aircraft, as well as airframe components for for the Boeing 777 and 787. MHI was itself formed from the forced dissolution of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, known for the A6M “Zero” fighter, among many others.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which build cars and motorcycles, also builds jet trainers, military transports, and helicopters.
I feel like there’s enough light aircraft running Subaru engines (even if those engines were originally built for cars) that it should count. VW, too.
Then Corvairs count too, they even have air in the name! https://flycorvair.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/img_8238.jpg
http://www.flycorvair.com/
During WWI, Dutch car maker Spijker produced a really bad training aircraft called the V.2 http://images.klassiker-der-luftfahrt.de/sixcms/media.php/11/thumbnails/spyker-v.2-trompenburg-jones.jpg.3613962.jpg
Chrysler built the Saturn IB. Does that count? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4f/Saturn_IB_launch_configurations.jpg/270px-Saturn_IB_launch_configurations.jpg
If rockets count, then Oldsmobile.
http://www.transmissionadapters.com/Pics/324olds2.jpg
Also, Saturn. See: Chrysler above.
What?
Bill Lear, of Learjer fame, also made some prototype steam turbine vehicles. Learjet is now owned by Bombardier, legitimizing it with connections to several types of transportation.
and don’t forget Bill’s other contribution to car culture
http://hooniverse.info/2015/06/11/thursday-trivia-97/
More importantly, all those plane seats…
GM owned Hughes Aviation for a while. They were making a lot of missiles at the time. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Tomahawk_Block_IV_cruise_missile_-crop.jpg/300px-Tomahawk_Block_IV_cruise_missile_-crop.jpg
Fun fact, Hughes also owned DirecTV at the time. DirecTV’s sale of adult pay per view movies made GM on of the largest sellers of pornorgraphy at the time.
GM also manufactured Grumman Hellcat and Avenger naval aircraft during WWII so that probably counts. Also one of GM’s divisions made M2 .50 cal. machine gun components, which could have ended up arming these aircraft.
Alfa Romeo has a long association with aircraft engines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Avio
Bristol was more of an aviation company that happened to make a few cars. http://starmoz.com/images/bristol-beaufighter-6.jpg
Studebaker bought Trans International Airlines in 1962. Does that count?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Douglas_DC-8-51_N8008D_TIA_LGW_23.07.66_edited-4.jpg/640px-Douglas_DC-8-51_N8008D_TIA_LGW_23.07.66_edited-4.jpg
Sure, but they identify as a car company.
EZ-GO makes street legal Low Speed Vehicles. The parent company is Textron, known for Bell Helicopters, Beechcraft, Cessna, etc.
http://www.ezgo.com/portals/2/EZGO/Images/Consumer/2Five_4.jpg
Also, Textron is the current owner of military vehicle builder Cadillac Gage of Commando fame.
http://www.lycoming.com/portals/0/Images/History-34-2013-Lycoming-Powers-Red-Bull-Air-Races.jpg
Lycoming is a company that make aircraft piston engines like the racing one above. About a century ago, they made engines for cars like this:
http://www.conceptcarz.com/images/Duesenberg/32-Duesenberg-J_Rollston-DV-12-PBC-01.jpg
Yup, Lycoming was once part of the Cord group and provided engines to Auburn, Cords, and Deusenberg’s.
Beechcraft made a prototype car in 1946.
Hey, THERE’s the one I was waiting for! A thousand points in life to Tonyola.
OT
And exactly 10 years later, Plymouth used the same name for a Ghia concept car.
http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/concept/large/56plymouth_plainsman.jpg
/OT
At 1:14 “Help, the tailgate crushed my feet!”
If failed attempts count, there’s always the King-Bugatti U-16 aero engine manufactured in limited numbers by, as one would expect from the name, Duesenberg.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4043/4331636980_86000038b6_b.jpg
Aerocar International built a handful of more-than-complete cars.
http://atomictoasters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/taylor_aerocar_3.jpeg
Convair also tried their had at the flying car. Logically named the Convaircar.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b5/ConvairCar_Model_118.jpg
When a small aircraft loves a car very much…
Here is the Oldsmobile M9 37mm cannon that was used in the Bell P-39 Airacobra.
Let’s continue down the GM line. How about the Fisher Body Works P-75 Eagle. This is what GM did to avoid making bombers.
http://atomictoasters.com/2012/10/how-to-get-out-of-a-contract-at-the-cost-of-only-fifty-million-taxpayer-dollars/
General Mistake, then as now….. 🙂
Does Bugatti count?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Bugattii100display.jpg/300px-Bugattii100display.jpg
You beat me to it.
I as well.
Volvo actually made the engines for both Gripen and Viggen.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Volvoaero1024.jpg
The company has also been involved in building space rockets etc.
That one, however, is a Canadair CF-104 with a GE J79 engine.
Not sure what the F104 connection is, but GKN bought Volvo Aero a while back, according to The Great Wikipedia.
Tatra built several aircraft types under license, plus this original design, the T101 http://www.flying-revue.cz/imagebank/24077561/800/600/t101……_(1280×852).jpg
I’ll use my reference to the Westinghouse Markette a few days ago as an excuse to bring up the Westinghouse-powered Convair F2Y Sea Dart:
Oh, how much fun that would be on Lake Texoma.
Even better, Lake Lewisville. On July 4th. With afterburner.
I know. I need help.
Fiat. The car is a 1800, the aircraft is a G.91.
https://i.wheelsage.org/pictures/f/fiat/1800_2100/fiat_1800_2100_5.jpg
Preston Tucker’s XP-57 (never-completed prototype). Also, some Tucker Torpedos had helicopter-derived engines.
http://www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/web/061024-F-1234P-010.jpg
Piaggio was a plane manufacturer long before the introduction of the Vespa scooter. Corradino D’Ascanio, the guy who designed the Vespa, was an aero-engineer who not only had no experience with motorcycles in general, but he actually hated them, considering them too cumbersome, difficult to repair and dirty.
http://www.lanciaflavia.it/public_old_foto/1img-1224508906.jpg
And here’s their current aircraft- the P.180 Avanti
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Piaggio_P-180_Avanti_Rennes_2010.jpg/1280px-Piaggio_P-180_Avanti_Rennes_2010.jpg
and here’s a P.108 bomber:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Piaggio_P.108.jpg
Am I just stomping on all the low hanging fruit? BMW. Messerschmitt. Heinkel. Hispano-Suiza. Isotta-Fraschini. Maybach. Voisin.
I’m surprised none of those have been mentioned yet.
I thought about Voisin but the aero company and the auto company were not the same, even though Gabriel Voisin established both of them.
True, although the Gabriel Voisin connection seems enough. However, Avions Voisin, which built cars, was more or less taken over by Gnome et Rhone which was then nationalized into SNECMA, which became a major French aircraft component and defense manufacturer.
The producers of The Blues Brothers movie had to get the FAA to issue a certificate of un-airworthiness for the Pinto before they could drop it from the helicopter for the stunt.
I couldn’t find any production notes regarding roadworthiness.
http://pics.imcdb.org/0is682/bluesbrothersnazipinto9.7743.jpg
Off topic, the Pinto that COULD fly.
Until it crashed…
It’s not flying. It’s falling…with style.
Tata Group produces the Sikorsky S-92 under license…and the Nano among others.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/CHC_Helicopter_Scotia_Sikorsky_S-92A.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Tata_Nano_im_Verkehrszentrum_des_Deutschen_Museums.JPG/1280px-Tata_Nano_im_Verkehrszentrum_des_Deutschen_Museums.JPG
Yes, but do they make any cars?
Ford Motor Company owned Ford Aerospace which built the AIM-9 Sidewinder.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/US_Navy_980220-N-0507F-003_U.S._Marine_Corps_Lance_Cpl._Leander_Pickens_arms_an_AIM-9_Sidewinder_missile_on_a_FA-18C_Hornet.jpg/1280px-US_Navy_980220-N-0507F-003_U.S._Marine_Corps_Lance_Cpl._Leander_Pickens_arms_an_AIM-9_Sidewinder_missile_on_a_FA-18C_Hornet.jpg
Ferruccio Lamborghini wanted to expand his company into helicopters production. But things didn’t go as expected, and only one prototype was built.
http://www.adrenaline24h.com/a24/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/elicott-fr-1170×874.jpg
http://www.associazionetoriemotori.it/files/prototipo-di-elicottero-inventato-da-Ferruccio-Lambirghini.jpg
Hey, Mickey!
SpaceX and Tesla, sort of, through Elon Musk.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Falcon_1_Flight_4_liftoff.jpg
Crosley made a few planes.
http://bohshi.fc2web.com/090512s-275.jpg
Plus the CoBra engine used in Crosley cars from 1946-48 was used as an auxiliary power unit for B-17s because of its light weight- the sheet-metal block only weighed 15 lb.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Cobra_block.JPG/1280px-Cobra_block.JPG
A bicycle is pretty much just a human powered motorcycle.
https://christopherlbennett.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/0923101206-00.jpg
“…and all other airborne products and components are all good, but they must all be from a manufacturer that is/was a producer of complete automobiles, trucks or motorcycles in-house, rather than the other way around…”
Certainly the second generation Charger is an airborne product.
http://dukesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DukesFest2002.jpg
http://www.todoautos.com.pe/attachments/f69/368390d1283355384-cual-es-el-muscle-car-mas-deseado-charger_bullit.jpg
Airborne Equivalent- Convair Model 48 Charger COIN
MATRA.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Matra-530-avant.jpg/640px-Matra-530-avant.jpg
Was primarily an aerospace company.
Daimler-Benz had aircraftmanufacturer DASA in it’s stable during the nineties. Picture is the Parvania Tornado they produced. Real lowhanging fruit is the Svenska Aeroplan AB, mother of all SAAB’s, untill 1990.
Daimler-Benz also made whole lot of aero engines in the 1930’s and 40’s.
(Low-hanging fruit, I know)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Daimler_DB_605_cutaway.jpg
BMW manufactured quite a few aircraft engines.
It is my understanding that Mohs Seaplane Corporation did, in fact, manufacture aircraft parts among other things.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mohs-Ostentatienne-Opera-Sedan-ffq.jpg
I actually thought that the Mohs Seaplane Corporation was basically Bruce Baldwin Mohs with his own pontoon-fitted Cessna. He would occasionally ferry people to remote spots in the Great Lakes area or in northern Wisconsin.
It was mostly that, certainly. I’ll have to dig out my copy of his autobiography, but I believe there was a bit of parts manufacturing as well.
Sunbeam was a major aero engine manufacturer. And they sometimes fitted them to their cars for competiton purposes.
]http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i101/racer2_uk/SunbeamManitou3_zpse8da5b3e.jpg
Napier aero engines
http://www.airpowerworld.info/aircraft-engine-manufacturers/napier-sabre.jpg
Low hanging fruit: Rolls-Royce
http://www.williammaloney.com/aviation/VintageWingsOfCanada/AircraftEngines/images/03RollsRoyceMerlin.jpg
Beardmore
http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/04-Others/Janes/Beardmore_WB4-1.jpg
The Rootes Group built various aircraft for the war effort, including Bristol Blenheims.
63 comments and no mention of the Honda Jet?
http://autoguide.com.vsassets.com/gallery/d/640044-3/2012-HondaJet-Formation.JPG
Motorboat Monday answer: Blohm & Voss/Hamburger Flugzeugbau built https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-04-1-26%2C_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg
and
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Blohm_und_Voss_Bv138.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_Flugzeugbau
Belated Tuesday answers, Aermacchi and Agusta. Aermacchi started with biplanes, is currently making Eurofighter parts and made small motorcycles from the 40-70s and was owned and branded by Harley-Davidson before becoming part of Cagiva.
Agusta is a helicopter maker famous for MV Agusta motorcycles, and is now part of the same conglomerate as Aermacchi.