CHAPTER 7 – A NICE PUBLICITY STUNT
10:09 (California Time)
Saturday, October 5, 1985 ‘C’
Assembly hall, Hiller Helicopters Corporation
Firebaugh, west of Fresno, California
U.S.A.
‘’My God, it is truly beautiful! I can’t wait to test fly it.’’ said Ingrid as she admired the first prototype of the Hiller AIRCAR, sitting inside the assembly hall of the Hiller Helicopters Corporation. The machine had been painted a fiery, high-visibility orange-red, with its aircraft number painted in white over its flanks and belly. However, as she had specified in her initial design notes, the prototype’s four propeller ducts had been left unpainted, to keep their molded polymer shrouds transparent in order to provide better all-around visibility to the pilot. Overall, the machine had a length of a bit over seven meters, with a total span of six meters with the ducted propellers in horizontal position, while the cabin itself, shaped like a wing section profile, had a maximum width of 2.4 meters. Stanley Hiller, standing next to her and Nancy, smiled with pride as he pointed at his latest aircraft.
‘’I must say that I am immensely proud of our machine, Ingrid. We did a few test flights at night, in order to keep its existence a secret, and it proved to be very easy to fly. Your recommendation about equipping it with a gyro-stabilization system also made it quite stable in flight, with transitions from vertical to level flight done smoothly, simply and safely. I believe that we have a winner on our hands.’’
‘’Do you still restrict your test flights to dark hours, or could I take a spin in it now?’’
‘’I believe that it is time to show our baby to the World, Ingrid. Come: I will show you the inside.’’
Ingrid was nearly jumping up and down with excitement as Stanley Hiller led her next to the prototype and opened its forward left side door, which opened upward gullwing-style, like on a number of European sports cars. What Ingrid saw inside made her nod her head in appreciation. The cabin was quite spacious, with a total of three individual bucket seats and one four-place bench seat, set in two rows. The machine had dual controls for the pilot and the forward right-side passenger cum copilot. Stanley then spoke, describing a few points of the prototype.
‘’We were lucky in that the Thunder Company, which produces an excellent and powerful turbo-charged V-8 engine, designed a variant of its TE495-TC700 piston engine with a new electronic fuel injection system that turned the engine into a multi-fuel one. It can now burn equally well standard automotive gasoline and high-octane aviation gasoline. You just need to select the type of fuel you use with this dial on the dash. The engine has a maximum continuous rating of 700 horsepower, which is transmitted via lightweight shafts to the four ducted propellers. Each propeller has four blades of the variable pitch type. You can thus easily control the lifting force of the machine just by playing with the blades pitch. Vectoring flaps downwash of the propellers in turn allow you to maneuver our aircar like a helicopter when in the hover mode. For level flight, an onboard computer manages the transition from hover to level flight mode simply by monitoring your forward speed. Past a speed of ninety miles per hour, the computer automatically switches the machine from hover to level mode while directing the pivoting of the ducted propellers and the engine power, and that until you are in pure level flight mode. The same will happen, but in reverse order, when you slow down under the speed of 85 miles per hour. During all that time, the gyro-stabilization system will keep the machine straight and horizontal, and this without the need for the pilot to constantly adjust his flight attitude.’’
‘’Excellent! And what kind of maximum speed were you able to attain in level mode?’’
Her question brought a wide smile on the face of Stanley Hiller.
‘’A nice 285 miles per hour{9} at the altitude of 12,000 feet, with two pilots on board. You will leave all the existing helicopters and most private piston-powered aircraft in your dust, on top of being able to land in tight places unsuited to helicopters. As for its payload capacity and range, our AIRCAR can carry a maximum of about 1,320 pounds, or 600 kilos if you prefer, over a range of about one thousand miles at a cruising speed of 250 miles per hour, or 400 kilometers per hour. Americans will fight to get one of our aircars, Ingrid.’’
‘’Starting with me!’’ replied Ingrid, a glint in her eyes. ‘’How large is it once folded for parking?’’
‘’Unfortunately, with its ducted propellers folded alongside at the vertical, the AIRCAR is still a bit too large and too high to fit in a standard bungalow single-car garage, but not by much. It will definitely fit inside a small barn or under a roofed drive-through parking spot.’’
‘’That’s already quite an achievement, Stanley. Can it roll on the ground with its ducted propellers folded?’’
‘’Yes it can! It has four small car wheels with small electric motors married to them. You won’t be zipping along at high speed on the highway but you will be able to roll and maneuver over a few kilometers on battery power when inside a town. So, are you ready to fly it?’’
‘’Hell yes!’’
‘’Then, let’s get in!’’
Before sitting inside the prototype, Ingrid took a moment to speak softly to Nancy.
‘’I am sorry, Nancy, but I don’t think that it would be a good idea for you to come with me on a test flight of a prototype. However, I won’t be long, I promise.’’
To Ingrid’s relief, Nancy proved reasonable then and didn’t throw a tantrum, so she was able to sit in the pilot’s seat of the machine, while Stanley Hiller sat in the forward right seat, which had a set of flight controls. He then took a few minutes to describe the various instruments and controls of the prototype and also gave her a few tips about how to pilot it. Once he was done, Ingrid switched the prototype to ‘ground roll’ mode and drove it slowly out of the assembly hall, to emerge into the bright California Sun. Next, she started her big V-8 engine and lowered her four ducted propellers into flight position, then switched on the machine’s aviation radio communication set, adjusting its frequency to that of the local air control network. Since the nearby airport had no air control tower of its own, she did not need to get permission to take off and she soon vertically flew off the ground, watched by Nancy and a group of Hiller employees.
Staying in hover mode at first, Ingrid tried in succession a few maneuvers, gradually increasing their difficulty as she got a feeling for the AIRCAR, making Stanley Hiller say a remark.
‘’You certainly act like an experienced test pilot, Ingrid.’’
‘’Hell, I can’t count anymore the number of different types of aircraft and spacecraft I test-flew, Stanley. I even landed a 10,000-ton spaceship on the surface of Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn.’’
‘’Damn! You will make me jealous of you, Ingrid.’’
‘’Well, that’s the fun of bragging rights, Stanley.’’ she replied, a grin on her face. ‘’Time to pick up speed and see how this toy behaves in level flight mode.’’
Increasing her engine power to near maximum, she then pushed forward her control wheel, making her ducted propellers pivot by some thirty degrees in order to pick up speed. She nodded with satisfaction when the flight control system of the prototype automatically and gradually pivoted the ducted propellers to full vertical and made the machine smoothly transition to level flight mode, and this without the need for her to make manual adjustments to her controls.
‘’I really like this automated flight control system, Stanley: it makes piloting the AIRCAR a near child’s play.’’
‘’I added an extra safety feature in order to make our AIRCAR even safer, Ingrid. In case of an engine failure or flight control system failure, the pilot can decide to do an emergency landing, and this by pressing this red button covered by a safety panel. That button will then deploy two large parachutes and will also inflate four large airbags under the vehicle. You will then float down to a safe and soft landing, either on land or on water. It cost us a few extra pounds in terms of payload, but I decided that it was worth it.’’
‘’And I wholly agree with you on that. It could in fact prove to be a crucial selling argument for many prospective customers… And here we are, flying at 275 miles per hour at an altitude of 200 feet. Stanley, we are going to get rich!’’
‘’Uh, correction, Ingrid: I am going to get rich. You asked to be paid with the gift of our first series model AIRCAR, remember?’’
‘You’re right!’’ recognized Ingrid before smiling to Hiller. ‘’So, when do I get paid?’’
‘’In a month, once our second AIRCAR will be completed and flight-tested. What color would you like it to be painted?’’
‘’This orange-red color is just fine with me, Stanley.’’
‘’One orange-red AIRCAR coming!’’ replied the happy helicopter designer, already imagining inside his head thousands of Hiller AIRCARs flying around the American skies.
07:51 (Washington Time)
Monday, November 18, 1985 ‘C’
Northwest access gate to the White House Grounds
Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C.
Marine Corps Lieutenant Peter Keating was the officer on duty at the Northwest access gate of the White House grounds this morning, with a contingent of nine Marines and two Secret Service agents with him. Normally, the White House was a restricted flight zone for all aircraft except the presidential helicopter, so he looked up with some surprise and also alarm on hearing what appeared to be either a helicopter or a private plane approach. As he looked around the cloud-covered sky, he asked a question to the Secret Service agent standing next to him near the gate.
‘’Were we expecting Air Force One{10} this morning, Mister Harrison?’’
‘’Uh, not that I know of, Lieutenant. The President is not scheduled to fly anywhere today. Maybe you better put your men on alert while I inform myself about any possible last-minute change in plans by the President.’’
‘’Right! SERGEANT BIGELOW, STAND BY WITH YOUR MEN: AN UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT IS APPROACHING!’’
‘’YES, LIEUTENANT!’’
With his Marines scrambling out of the gate guardhouse with their rifles, Lieutenant Keating kept scanning the sky for the unknown aircraft. He finally spotted a dot in the sky, coming from the Southeast at low altitude and fairly high speed. The dot then turned to align its course with Pennsylvania Avenue while losing both speed and altitude. That dot then grew into an orange-red machine of the sort he had never seen before.
‘’What the hell is that? It looks like it wants to land on Pennsylvania Avenue.’’
‘’Well, it certainly is no presidential aircraft.’’ replied Agent Harrison. ‘’I just checked with the White House security command post. That pilot is thus technically in violation of the local flight regulations. You better have your men ready in case it tries to crash into the White House.’’
Keating nodded and shouted a few more orders as the few dozens of pedestrians circulating along the sidewalks of this portion of the avenue also looked up at the incoming machine. This portion of the avenue being blocked to vehicular traffic for security reasons, the orange-red machine, bearing the words ‘LADY HAWK’ in black letters on its twin vertical rudders, had plenty of space to land at the vertical on it, near the access gate. Keating and Harrison let their jaws drop wide open when the four ducted propellers of the machine started folding up to the vertical along the sides of the sleek vehicle, while the latter started rolling silently on four wheels while heading towards the entrance of the side street leading to the Old Executive Building, next to the White House.
‘’What the fuck is that?’’ asked crudely Sergeant Bigelow, as stunned as everybody else.
‘’I don’t know but I am going to find out.’’ Replied his officer, who then started running to arrive at the street corner before the machine. The pilot of the machine, a woman, then saw him and slowed down while opening her side window. She braked to a stop just short of the entrance to the Old Executive Building’s street and waited for him. Keating was shocked when he arrived close enough to identify positively the woman.
‘’General Dows?! What is this thing you are piloting?’’
The sixty-year-old retired general flashed a big grin on her youthful face.
‘’It is a Hiller AIRCAR, my new personal vehicle. I am sorry about creating a bit of a sensation, Lieutenant.’’
‘’Uh, that’s okay…I think, General. However, you better have your…aircar registered this morning with the White House security command post. Where are you going exactly, General?’’
‘’I am going to park in my usual spot in front of the Old Executive Building, Lieutenant. Is that okay with you?’’
‘’Uh, yes, General. I think that I will post one of my Marines near your aircar once it is parked: it is liable to attract a lot of curious onlookers.’’
‘’Oh, I am sure of that, Lieutenant. I will be walking through your gate after I will have parked my new toy.’’
The strange vehicle then resumed rolling, entering the side street and parking in one of the spots along it. General Ingrid Dows, dressed in her customary adjusted female suit with trousers, then opened her door, which pivoted up like a gullwing, and stepped out, retrieving a briefcase inside before closing back and locking her driver’s door. Keating, who had approached the aircar, was able to look inside it. What he saw of the inside was quite impressive.
‘’You are going to make a lot of people jealous today, General.’’
‘’I’m counting on it, Lieutenant.’’ replied Ingrid, grinning.
Within one hour, the buzz about Ingrid’s aircar had gone through the whole White House, while dozens of government employees working in the Old Executive Building went out to go avidly examine the Hiller AIRCAR. Dozens of press photographers and journalists, along with a few camera crews, then descended on the parked vehicle, taking pictures and filming it from all possible angles. Two hours later, it was the turn of President Bush himself to show up in the parking lot with Ingrid and an army of Secret Service bodyguards, with Ingrid then showing him the inside and inviting him to sit in her aircar. An Air Force officer attached to the Presidential staff listened on to Ingrid’s description of her aircar to the President, taking notes at the same time and promising himself to call the Air Force Chief of Staff after this. President Bush, an ex-naval aviator who had fought in the Pacific during World War Two, then shocked his head of security detail when he asked for a ride aboard the aircar. Bush looked at him with a bit of a frown.
‘’You are not going to deny to an old aviator like me such an incredible opportunity, right, Jake?’’
‘’There is plenty of seats available inside, Agent Nielsen.’’ said in turn Ingrid. ‘’Why don’t you come with us, along with one more agent?’’
‘’Uh, I think that I will do that, General. Fleming, you come with us!’’
With the remaining Secret Service agents making the bystanders step away to let the aircar roll out of its parking spot, Ingrid let President Bush drive it, helping him by describing the controls to him and telling him what to do. The demon of flying repossessed the ex-naval aviator as he performed under Ingrid’s supervision a vertical takeoff in front of the Northwest access gate of the White House. Then pushing forward the engine throttle and pushing on his control wheel, he sent the aircar in a smooth transition to level flight that left him ecstatic.
‘’This aircar is positively fantastic! It is so easy to pilot. How fast can it go, Ingrid?’’
‘’It can top 285 miles per hour, Mister President. It has a maximum payload, meaning passengers plus baggage, of 1,320 pounds and a maximum range at a cruising speed of 250 miles per hour of one thousand miles. The fun part is that you could land vertically at any gas station in the country and refill there, as the Hiller AIRCAR can burn standard gasoline, as well as aviation gasoline.’’
George H.W. Bush looked at her as if she was a witch.
‘’But, your aircar is faster than the Grumman Avenger torpedo-bomber I flew in World War Two! And it is much faster and has more range than my presidential helicopter. How did you manage that?’’
‘’Well, I did give some counsels to Mister Stanley Hiller, the founder of Hiller Helicopters Corporation, which produces this aircar, but much of the merit should go to Mister Hiller himself. The engine, which sits between us in the nose section, is a turbo-charged V-8 Thunder TE495-TC700 piston engine developing 700 horsepower. It has an electronic fuel injection system that allows it to burn various fuels, including standard gasoline and aviation gasoline. The four ducted propellers each have four blades with variable pitch systems and vectoring flaps downwash from the propellers.’’
‘’And how many of these aircars has Hiller produced to date, Ingrid?’’
‘’This is the second one produced by Hiller, Mister President. It constitutes my fees for helping Hiller design it. Presently, Hiller is working hard to start a dedicated production line for the AIRCAR and is also working on developing a number of variants of it specialized in various roles, like air ambulance, police patrol, search and rescue and military liaison. This variant I got as payment is the standard commuter variant, with a few optional extras added in.’’
‘’My God!’’ said softly Bush while eyeing the instrument panel in front of him. ‘’I must get one of those babies. How are you in the back, Jake?’’
‘’I’m very comfortable, Mister President. Those padded bucket seats sure beat your usual economy-class seats on regular airlines. Also, those curved door windows give us an excellent view around and below.’’
‘’I will certainly agree with you on those points. This idea of using molded, transparent shrouds for the propellers does a lot to improve forward visibility. I honestly think that the presidential fleet could use some of these Hiller AIRCARs, Ingrid.’’
‘’I am sure that Mister Stanley Hiller would love to hear that, Mister President.’’ said Ingrid, a wide grin on her face.
18:04 (California Time)
Living lounge of Stanley Hiller’s residence
Firebaugh, California
Stanley Hiller, sitting on his favorite sofa and watching the televised evening news, was positively drooling as a video reporting showed Ingrid’s aircar, piloted by the President himself, landing on the White House South Lawn while filmed by dozens of cameras. A newscaster then followed on the screen, talking from behind his studio desk and quoting the performance figures for the Hiller AIRCAR obtained from Ingrid Dows. The newscaster was still speaking when Stanley’s wife shouted at him from the kitchen.
‘’STANLEY, SOMEBODY IS ON THE PHONE FOR YOU! HE SAYS THAT HE IS THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE.’’
‘’Christ! I’M COMING!’’ exclaimed Stanley while jumping on his feet to then run to the kitchen.