Fig.

1: Above, a slight push by Dad during

a test run sends the air car slowly along
the driveway. Close up photo at right
shows air car tilted to direct it to the right

GO-CAT
Do-lt-Yourself
Air Car
By GERALD W. CRISMAN will benefit from the knowledge gained in the
design and theory of operation of this promis-

F OR $20 and an old lawn mower engine you

can build this pint-size air car and make
your youngster the happiest kid in the
block. And, he'll think you, Dad, are the
bestest do-it-yourselfer what is."
What's more, both you and your youngster
DECEMBER, 1962
ing new mode of transportation.
When selecting the lawn mower engine be
sure you get one of the vertical shaft, light-
weight aluminum jobs used on a rotary-type
lawn mower. Cast-iron engines are too heavy
for air car use. It should have a rating of at
least 2-1/2 hp and a 3-1/2 hp engine will give you
43
even better performance.
Start Construction With the Box Frame
(Fig. 2A). After cutting the 4 x 4 ft. top piece
from 1/4-in. plywood, locate the exact center
by drawing diagonal lines from corner to
corner and scribe a 19-1/4-in. circle. If you do
not have a portable electric jigsaw to cut out
the circle, a keyhole saw will do the job. Then
fasten the 3/4 x 1-in. cleats to what will be the
underside of the top with glue and #6 x 1-in.
DECEMBER, 1962
fh screws. Note that the cleats are set back
1/4 in. from the edges of the plywood top so
that the 1/4-in. plywood sides will be flush with
the top. When cutting the side pieces, make
two of them 48-in. long and two of them 47-1/2-
in long. Since the 1/4-in. plywood is very diffi-
cult to fasten securely at the corners, rip saw
some 1-in. triangular cleats 3-in. long and in-
stall at each corner of the box frame with glue
(Continued on page 117)
45
44 SCIENCE and MECHANICS
Go Cat • • • • (Continued from page 45)
and 3/4-in. nails.
The Pilot's Seat and seat frame was made of
1/8 x 1 x 1-in. aluminum as detailed in Fig.
2D, to keep the overall weight of the air car
as light as possible. If aluminum angle is not
available in your town, 3/4 x 1-3/4-in. clear
lumber glue and bolted together could be
used instead. Before making the seat frame,
check the 15-in. height of the seat to make
certain it will clear the engine you will be
using.
Make the seat of 1/4-in. plywood as shown
in Fig. 3C, and fasten to the uprights of the
seat frames so that it is held securely in place
yet easily removable to work on the engine.
Make the Prop Guard (Fig. 3D) next. Your
local sheetmetal shop will have the sheet
steel for this. Bend the 2 x 61-in. strip around
the 19-1/4-in. hole in the frame top and mark
the overlapped ends for riveting together. The
clips for anchoring the prop guard to the top
can be made from scrap pieces of 16 ga. sheet-
metal.
The Fan or Prop is made of .090-in. thick
2024 aluminum plate tempered to T3 specifi-
cations. You can make it yourself as detailed
in Fig. 3B or, you can purchase a completed
prop balanced and tempered to T3 specs, for
$10 (see Materials List). The method of
mounting the prop on the engine shaft will
vary depending upon the type, make and size
of engine you use.
If you intend to make the prop yourself,
first draw a full-size pattern of the prop on
heavy paper and use as a template for mark-
ing and cutting the hubs and blades. The
51-1/20 on the segment end of the blades is
slightly oversize. After sawing the hubs and
blades to size, file and fit the segment ends of
each blade so that the seven blades fit to-
gether snugly. Then layout the 3/16-in. drilled
hole locations and assemble and clamp the
hubs and blades together. A bolt with large
washers through the hub shaft holes and
several C-clamps will hold the assembly to-
gether. Drill the 3/16-in. holes through the
three thicknesses of aluminum at one time.
Insert the 10-32 machine screws, which will
make a snug fit with the 3/16-in. holes as they
should. Also, be sure to number or mark the
location of each blade in respect to its posi-
tion on the hubs so that the prop can be taken
apart to bend the pitch angle in the blades and
then reassembled exactly as originally fitted.
When bending the pitch in the blades, grip
the segment end of the blade in a vise as in
Fig. 3A and clamp boards on each side of the
blade portion. This will put the 26° twist right
at the narrow or "necked" part of the blade.
When reassembling the prop, be sure to use
slotted nuts and drill the machine screws for
cotterpins so there is no chance of the nuts
DECEMBER, 1962
vibrating loose.
The Engine Mount consists of two lengths
of 1/8 x 1 x 1-in. angle irons bolted to the
underside of the circular engine flange. Use
two of the original engine mounting holes for
each angle iron. The exact height of the 1-1/8
thick wooden blocks (Fig. 3C) will have to be
determined from the engine you are using.
Position the engine so that the prop is cen-
tered in the 19-1/4-in. hole in the box frame
and temporarily block up the angle iron en-
gine mounts until the prop is centered verti-
cally in the 2-in. height of the prop guard
(Fig. 3C). Then measure the height of the
l-1/8-in. wooden blocks needed and cut blocks
to size. Two wooden blocks, one on each side
of the 19-1/4 in. hole, will be required. Use
%-in. bolts to fasten angle irons and blocks
to top of box frame.
The Anti-Torque Vanes (Fig. 2B) tend to
prevent the blast of air from whirling in the
direction of the prop rotation and thus stabil-
ize the air car. Make the vanes as in Fig
3A from 1/16-in, thick aluminum or 1/4-in. ply-
wood and fasten to the underside of the box
frame top as in Fig. 3A.
The Flexible Skirt around the bottom of the
box frame (Fig. 3) is an optional attachment.
Its purpose is to increase the altitude or lift
of the air car and provide flexible box sides
that will deflect and thus allow the car to
clear low obstacles in the path of travel.
Make the skirt 16-1/2-ft. long from strips of
canvas, 6-in. wide. Double sew a 1-in. hem
containing a length of plastic clothesline
along the bottom edge, and fasten the other
edge to the inside bottom edge of the box
frame with glue and staples as in Fig. 3B.
Hand sew the ends of the skirt where they
join, to prevent air from leaking out. Then
tighten the clothesline until the canvas puck-
ers from the inward pull.
As a safety measure, to prevent youngsters
from putting their feet near the engine or
prop, surround the seat frame with 1/2-in. wire
hardware cloth screening as in Fig. 3C. Bend
the screening where it meets the box top and
fasten with 1/8-in. bolts with large washers.
Bring the screening up as high as possible
without interfering with use of the rope en-
gine starter.
For a test run, place the air car on a paved
surface such as a driveway or large parking
lot. Have your youngster on the seat with his
legs crossed under one another and hands
gripping opposite sides of the seat. Start the
engine and set the throttle to maintain an
altitude of about 1/2-in. above the bottom of
the skirt. Then gently push the car forward as
in Fig. 1. Your youngster will soon learn to
control the direction of travel by simply lean-
ing his body to tilt the car in the direction in
which he wishes to go.
117