The Ford Flivver, named after a slang term for the Model T, was conceptualized as a compact personal airplane. It was just big enough to fit a pilot but small enough to fit realistically inside the average garage. In fact, to work toward this notion, Henry Ford actually had the original designer of the Flivver, Otto Koppen, take measurements of his personal office just to ensure that the plane would be small enough to fit within its confines.
The plane was primarily made of wood and steel, utilizing the former for the wings and fuselage and the latter for the empennage and landing gear. The original Flivver prototype featured a 3-cylinder 35 hp Anzani air-cooled engine, though, in subsequent prototypes, this was swapped out for a 2-cylinder Ford engine, which could manage a top speed of around 85 mph.
The Flivver was first publicly unveiled on Henry Ford’s 63rd birthday in July of 1926, and excitement steadily began to build over the future of personal air travel.
