How long did it take the Aerocar to convert?

Short answer

Five minutes and one person: the Aerocar's folding wings let it switch from road mode to flight mode in that time. The plane-to-car transformation has also been put at roughly 15 minutes. Taylor began the design in 1946, and only six examples were ever built.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How long did it take the Aerocar to convert?

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Wings that folded alongside the car

The Aerocar used folding wings that let the vehicle switch from road mode to flight mode in five minutes with just one person. The conversion from plane to car has also been described as roughly a 15-minute operation. Taylor began designing a road-capable aircraft in 1946, and on a trip to Delaware he met inventor Robert E. Fulton, Jr., creator of an earlier roadable, the Airphibian, with detachable wings.

Nearly eight years to certification

Earning the Aerocar's airworthiness certificate took almost eight years, about $750,000, and roughly 700 flight hours. On the road it logged about 20,000 test miles and met every traffic code then in force. Across all six vehicles combined, road mileage topped 200,000 miles (321,865 km) and flight time exceeded 5,000 hours.

Six examples, and no more

Only six examples were ever built. Taylor struck a deal with Ling-Temco-Vought for series production contingent on gathering 500 orders, and when only half that number came in, production plans fell through. Despite public interest and media attention, he never found an aerospace company or carmaker willing to mass-produce it.