Stout Skycar
Stout Engineering · United States · first flew 1931 · light aircraft
The Stout Skycar was an ambitious American flying car concept of the early 1930s, created by William Bushnell Stout of Ford Trimotor fame, blending automobile styling with aircraft practicality.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | enclosed automobile-style body |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- unusual shoulder-wing car-plane concept
- four engines
- enclosed automobile-style body
The car-like enclosed fuselage with no conventional aircraft nose and the shoulder-mounted wing with multiple small engines make the Skycar instantly recognizable among 1930s experimentals.
Specifications
- The Stout Skycar has a length of 8.5 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 + 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
William Bushnell Stout, who had designed the Ford Trimotor's structural concept, turned his attention to the personal air vehicle problem in the late 1920s. The Skycar featured automobile-style bodywork, retractable undercarriage, and four small engines, representing one of the most serious flying car attempts of its era.
Variants
Several iterations were built as Stout refined the concept through the early 1930s; none reached production.
Where you'll see it
Demonstrated at air shows and evaluated privately; never achieved production status despite Stout's efforts to attract manufacturer interest.
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