The Bryan Autoplanes were a series of three experimental

roadable aircraft A flying car or roadable aircraft is a type of vehicle which can function both as a road vehicle and as an aircraft. As used here, this includes vehicles which drive as motorcycles when on the road. The term "flying car" is also sometimes u ...

Development

Leland Bryan built his roadable aircraft in the town of

Milford, Michigan Milford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,175 at the time of the 2010 census. The village is located within Milford Township. The village is known for being the home of the Milford General Motors ...

. As a roadable aircraft the aircraft was required to be registered by both the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and the Michigan Motor Vehicle Administration (MMVA), with road propulsion provided by propeller thrust.

Design

The Bryan Model I was built with a welded steel tube fuselage frame, wings from a

Briegleb BG-6 The Briegleb BG-6 was a 1930s single-seat glider designed by William G. Briegleb to be both factory and homebuilt. Development The BG-6 is a high-wing single-seat glider with a steel-tube-and-fabric fuselage, wooden wings with fabric covering a ...

primary glider and a

Crosley Crosley was a small, independent American manufacturer of subcompact cars, bordering on microcars. At first called the Crosley Corporation and later Crosley Motors Incorporated, the Cincinnati, Ohio, firm was active from 1939 to 1952, interr ...

automobile engine, which was later replaced by a 40 hp Continental. The Model II autoplane featured an extended

Erco Ercoupe The ERCO Ercoupe is an American low-wing monoplane aircraft that was first flown in 1937. It was originally manufactured by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) shortly before World War II; several other manufacturers continued it ...

center-section, with a pusher engine at the rear of the fuselage nacelle, with twin tail booms supporting the tail section. The Ercoupe landing gear was used for the roadable operations, reaching up to 60 mph on the road. For storage and road transport the wings folded at two hinge lines.

Operational history

The Model I was approved for limited flight, in the experimental category. by the CAA, managing to accumulate 500 miles of road driving, and flying for the first time in 1953. The improved Model II achieved 80 hours of flight time and 4000 miles of road travel before a road accident. During repairs the Model II was rebuilt with two-seats becoming the Model III Autoplane, with a

Continental A75 The Continental O-170 engine is the collective military designation for a family of small aircraft engines, known under the company designation of A50, A65, A75 and A80. The line was designed and built by Continental Motors commencing in the 194 ...

engine and convertible top motors, from a

Chevrolet Corvair The Chevrolet Corvair is a compact car manufactured by Chevrolet for model years 1960–1969 in two generations. A response to the Volkswagen Beetle, it remains the only American-designed, mass-produced passenger car with a rear-mounted, air- ...

, to extend and fold the wings. After accumulating 70 hours of flight time and 1000 road miles, the Model III crashed during a flyby at the 1974

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...

(EAA) airshow, at

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

, when an inadequately secured wing section parted company killing the designer. At the time of his death Leland Bryan was in the process of designing the Model IV Autoplane, based on a

Rutan VariViggen The Rutan VariViggen is a homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. The aircraft is a tandem two-seater of primarily wooden construction with a delta wing and a canard foreplane. The VariViggen is powered by a 150 hp Lycoming O-320 ae ...

Variants

;Bryan Special :Alternative name for the Bryan Model I ;Bryan Model I Autoplane :entered flight test in 1953 ;Bryan Model II Autoplane :1957 based on an

Ercoupe The ERCO Ercoupe is an American low-wing monoplane aircraft that was first flown in 1937. It was originally manufactured by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) shortly before World War II; several other manufacturers continued its ...

fuselage with a double articulating wing. ;Bryan Model III Autoplane :1970 a rebuild of the model II with single hinged wing articulation. ;Bryan Model IV Autoplane

Specifications (Model II)

Notes

References

{{Flying cars Roadable aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1953 Single-engined pusher aircraft 1950s United States civil utility aircraft Twin-boom aircraft