The flying car that Fantomas, a French movie character, used in 1964. It starts out as an iconic Citroen DS, but at the flip of a switch, wings come out from underneath, the tail splits in two and jets fire.
Details have emerged, of the original project by French engineers at Citroen in the 1950s, to create a flying car based upon the popular DS.
Details have emerged, of the original project by French engineers at Citroen in the 1950s, to create a flying car based upon the popular DS.
The aerodynamic and futuristic body design by French aviation engineer André Lefèbvre formed the basis for the project. The standard front mounted 1911 cc 4-cyl engine was retained for road use and two thrusters were installed at the rear of the car, which would be used for flight.
Two delta wings are deployed from side pods together with a Y form tail fin and by switching the transmission from normal road-use to flight. The foot pedals and steering wheel convert to traditional yaw and pitch controls as in a small airplane.
Unfortunately, the original prototype car was totally destroyed during early testing and Citroen’s management decided to cancel the project, the details were lost to the company archives, until historians found the plans and engineers reconstructed a replica in the 1960s.
The reconstruction was initially planned to be used in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice but was substituted by ‘Little Nellie the Gyrocopter,’ due to budget overruns.
The comedy film comes complete with squealing tires on dirt, and Fantomas the brilliant criminal who hides behind different masks and escapes by taking off in the DS. A stunt only James Bond could only dream of.
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