beamjockey | Santa Monica Bids Farewell to Waldo's Flying-Car Factory, and a Saint is Grounded

In Santa Monica, California, the Landmarks Commission has rejected a proposal to designate as a landmark the building where Waldo Waterman built his roadable aircraft. So it will be demolished to make way for new development.

Waldo, as aviation history buffs will recall, was an engineer best known for a series of tailless monoplanes, beginning with the Waterman Whatsit. In 1937, he came up with the Arrowbile, which could leave its detachable wings at the airport and become a car. (Its name was also spelled "Aerobile;" some photos show one spelling painted on the fuselage, some show the other!)

I wrote about Waldo's flying car for my "Chicago Science" newspaper column in 1997.

Like most roadable aircraft, the Arrowbile was a sensation in the press. Read about it in Life for August 16. 1937.

In other news, Steve Saint, designer of the Maverick Sport roadable intended for use in missionary aviation, has been injured in a testing accident involving a wing for a new project.

It hasn't been a good week for flying-car people.