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Automotive History: The Pinto’s Brief Life As An Airplane
One of the most recurring human follies is the seemingly endless attempts to cross the car with an airplane. Why? The two have such profoundly different purposes and requirements, and there’s so little that they actually share. Can’t dreamy-eyed engineers get past the idea that a passenger cabin and a set of wheels is not really enough to share effectively. Perhaps the most amusing looking but tragic examples is the AVE Mizar, an ill-fated (did I give too much away?) attempt to make the Pinto… (www.curbsideclassic.com) Mehr...
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Weight reduction of the pinto could've saved the day. Replacing every possible part of the Pintos body with aluminum or fiberglass, Aluminum engine block, lightweight seats, removing bumpers, whatever other available way to reduce weight - all would have helped. It seems like the developers were all in a big hurry to try to fly before everything was thoroughly thought through and when they crashed, especially with fatalities, projects were abandoned. The current one seems to be OK though - probably due to current technology advancements.
Sweet!! Can i have one, but with a Gremlin rather than a Pinto!?? lol:P
Gremlin? Go all the way. The Pacer!!!
Hah! The cars are getting uglier and uglier! I wonder which one is more aerodynamic?? lol:P
Dussenburg - more aerodynamic
An example of mindless engineering. Even at that time, the weight of the Pinto could have been cut in half with aluminum doors, fenders, panels, etc. and intallation of lightweight seats, removal of bumpers, using an aluminum car engine block and whatever other way they could reduce the cars weight. As with most attempts at car airplane combos at the time, they were in a hurry to try to fly them before everything was thoroughly considered and when they crashed or didn't work right, projects were abandoned, especially after fatalities. The current one seems to work pretty well though - probably helped to have the latest technology available.
