OverDrive is a high performance roadable aircraft. AKA – a flying car!
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OverDrive is a high performance roadable aircraft. AKA – a flying car!
About this project
The OverDrive prototype is a state of the art roadable aircraft in an integrated package that makes few compromises in looks and performance. With the push of a button, the OverDive will convert from car to airplane and back for true door-to-door travel. It is the ultimate in personal utility!
We need your support to complete a full size working prototype vehicle that we have already started building.
The OverDrive was recently featured at Jamie & Adam Tested!
OverDrive Creator does an AMA on Reddit!
The OverDrive is a product 20 years in the making starting with the ground breaking FSC-1 research project. While the idea of a flying car is not new, what we are building is a high-performance, visually stunning, and practical transportation system that happens to look like a car…or airplane, depending on what button you push.
The OverDrive is first and foremost a high performance automobile. So we wanted it to have sophisticated and aggressive styling. Something you would be proud to show off to your friends (or enemies, who are we to judge?).
Great looks require great performance. We take what's under the hood just a serious as out side appearances. High power engine from a Corvette and race car inspired suspension round out a comprehensive design philosophy that aims to make a top performing car.
One of the major aspects of the OverDrive's design is the dual output drive system. The same engine used to drive the vehicle is also used to fly it in airplane mode via a custom clutch mechanism to contra rotating propellers. For flight, all power is diverted from the rear wheels to the propellers for high speed flight.
Finally, all of the flight surfaces come out of hiding through various panels and folding storage locations. We spent a lot of time figuring out how to hide everything as best as we could to create a clean vehicle highly resistant to damage and tampering.
The video below shows how the transformation sequence works (trust us, you're gonna want to watch it a few times).
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We successfully flew a remote controlled scale model to prove the design flies and is stable in the air:
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It’s a flying car! Can’t get much more unique than that, but we are trying. The OverDrive is first and foremost a good looking and comfortable high performance automobile. The fact that it can spread its wings and fly is icing on the cake. Our goal is to build a car that you would have no idea was a plane if you had never seen it before.
The OverDrive is also unique in that it is the first vehicle of its type that is fast both on the ground and in the air!
There are over 5,000 public use airports in the US. There is usually a small public airport located within 20 miles (about 30 minutes) from nearly any place you want to go.
The OverDrive will allow you to bypass large, crowded airports in favor of small convenient ones usually much closer to your final destination.
We understand the OverDrive is not for everyone and maybe even a little far fetched (But remember…that’s what they said about personal computers and mobile phones too!). But even if you've always desired to have your feet firmly planted on the ground, we hope you are as excited as we are to finally finish such a remarkable vehicle. Every little bit helps.
Every contribution no matter how small brings you into our family of supporters and forward thinking friends who we hope one day will be able to see the fruits of their labor in person. Once the first OverDrive is finished, we will be making a grand tour with it to meet our supporters.
Near Term
With $250,000 you will get us up and running with a completed prototype which we will use and abuse in order to fine tune the design for production.
Long Term
Any funds that exceed our pledge goal will be used to improve the quality of the OverDrive prototype, speed up construction, help fund the touring of the completed vehicle, and start FAA and NHTSA certification processes. Our ultimate goal is mass production of a certified vehicle.
So please consider pledging even if we reach our goals. For us, the prototype is just the beginning!
Rewards summary
All Kickstarter rewards will be limited edition runs and will be only available to backers of this project!
The OverDrive will have nearly the same weight and power plant as a modern sports car, so it will be fast on the ground. That same 400+hp engine will be used to propel the OverDrive in airplane mode in excess of 250 mph.
- Dimensions (car mode): 80” wide x 58” tall x 18’-2” (218”) long
- Gross Weight: 3800lbs
- Payload: 1,300 lbs
- Fuel: 90 gallons, 91-100 octane
- Est. Range (flight mode): Approx. 900 miles
- Engine: 450HP (super charged LS-2)
- Speed: 250 MPH Cruise (Airplane Mode), 275 MPH Top speed (level @15,000+ ft), 70 MPH Take off Speed
- Wing Span: 33.4 ft
- Number of passengers 4 + 1 jump seat
- License
required: Driver’s License & Private Pilot’s License (40 hrs
flight).
Large scale R/C engineering test model to measure lift, drag, thrust, CG limits, and stability.
After building:
- - 1/10th flying scale R/C model (really fun to watch fly)
- - ¼ dynamic testing scale model (lots of work)
- - Full CAD models (really a lot of work)
- - Full scale flight simulator (OK. Getting tired of this now…)
We have already started building the real thing!
We are not starting from scratch. We have self funded much of the work including engineering analysis, proof of concept models, full size simulator, and of course building the actual vehicle prototype. This is not vapor ware. However, it is not an inexpensive venture. We have gone as far as we can by self-funding and need help.
The vehicle uses a welded space-frame chassis for strength and light weight. The Body will be composite (fiberglass/carbon fiber), while the wings will be a mixture of composite and metal structures. The power plant will be a Corvette LS-2 engine and partial drive train mounted to a custom gearbox for running in airplane mode.
But we still have a lot of work to do. With your help, we aim to have a driving, flying prototype finished in just two years.
We really hope you can help us in getting the OverDrive to burn rubber and take flight!
Each reward is cumulative. That is as you go up is reward levels, it will always include the rewards offered at the lower levels. Please refer to the side-bar for detailed rewards listing.
Here is an example of the 1/24 scale transforming OverDrive model offered to our backers!
The OverDrive is the brainchild of Mitch LaBiche (pronounced lah-beesh), who after getting stranded at a small airport one day vowed to design a roadable aircraft that would allow him to drive when the weather was too inclement to fly. Since then, Mitch has assembled a skilled team of like-minded engineers to help design and build the OverDrive prototype. Our team consists of experienced professionals that have worked for NASA, Lockheed, Sikorsky and other well known entities.
Thank you for taking the time to visit us on Kickstarter!
Please let us know what you think here or on one of our social sites:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/labicheautomotive
Twitter: @FlyOverDrive
Risks and challenges
We try to be up front and realistic with our goals. No one can predict everything, but we are sure the Overdrive will fly. We know of no technological issues preventing completion of the vehicle. However we do expect occasional construction hiccups and hurdles to occur, which can delay completion of the prototype. We will work diligently to mitigate all risks, but there are always unknowns.
Understandably, it costs money and building a project this ambitious is not cheap. We have worked hard to get to the point of going public with this project. While two years may seem like a long time, it can go by very quick with a project of this complexity. Which is why we need your help so that we can bring in people that can do some of the things we can’t or simply don’t have the time to do while we concentrate on bringing everything together for the first prototype. We will post constant updates to our twitter and Facebook pages for all of those that took the time and effort to support us.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Since Kickstarter has an all or nothing model for funding, we took a hard look at the absolute minimum amount required to finish what we had already started. By looking at using what we have already built and buying only what is absolutely necessary, this is the number we came up with. Don't let the number discourage you from pledging. If we can go beyond our goal, then we can build an even better prototype with additional functionality and feature comforts.
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Any funds that exceed our pledge goal will be used to improve the quality of the OverDrive prototype, speed up construction, help fund the touring of the completed vehicle, and start the FAA certification process. So please consider pledging even if we reach our goals. For us, the prototype is just the beginning!
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Yea, we hear this a lot. While anyone with a driver’s license can DRIVE the Overdrive, you have to have a pilot’s license to FLY the Overdrive. This takes at least 40 hours of flight training and requires both written and practical testing by certified FAA examiners.
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Your legs don't need to go anywhere. The wings are under a floor. The passenger cabin is completely above the wing box and everyone sits in a semi-reclined position. We have tested this in our full-sized simulator and it is very comfortable.
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I guess you didn’t see the video. We’ve flown several scale models, verified with computer flight simulation, and with details examined by an independent aerospace engineering firm. It will fly, but we need your help to finish building the full-scale prototype. We hope to prove you wrong, so why not give us a chance?
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Yes, usually. But the concept behind the Overdrive is to make a vehicle that would rival many sports cars while being a high performance airplane. As you can see from the photos, the Overdrive is not some egg-shaped vehicle on go-cart wheels. It is a fleshed out high performance vehicle.
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Good question. The OverDrive can fly at higher altitudes where air resistance is much lower due to its supercharged V8 engine. Supercharging allows the engine to maintain horsepower at altitude where a non-supercharged engine would lose power and fly slower.
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Not at all - for two reasons: The suspension on the OverDrive lifts the vehicle up some 20 inches for takeoff and landing and since the OverDrive has a canard (small wings in the front) it does not need to point the nose up much for takeoff. We verified this both in the RC model and computer flight simulator.
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It is not obvious, the the shape of the OverDrive's rear is designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as we can make it. Much like a Cessna 337, the rear prop helps create a laminar flow of air into the rear portion of the vehicle.
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Funding period
- (30 days)