| This image | comment | 1953 Fletcher 'Commando' - a prototype. The Commando was a 6 passenger
version of the Fletcher Flair conceived of and designed by Wendell
Fletcher, an admirer of Porsche innovation and mechanicals. In 1952, the
US Goverment was looking for an amphibious Jeep. Wendell Fletcher had
the idea of designing a Jeep around an air-cooled Porsche 356
four-cylinder engine, bolting the Porsche drivetrain and suspension to
the aluminum tub. He made it light enough (1,475 or 1,490 pounds,
depending on your source) to be transported by air and added a special
transfer case and front differential to make it four-wheel drive. To
make it swim, he adapted the jet-cooling principles of aircraft engineer
Otto Koppen (one of the men responsible for the Ford Trimotor and the
Ford Flivver), which Fletcher Aviation already had applied to its FD-25
Defender. The system doesn?t appear to have worked well at all as a
propulsion device, which is likely why many references to the Flair note
that the simple turning of its wheels propelled it in the water. The
vehicle in this photo is known as the 'Commando' which was a
6-passenger, non 4wd version and it was less widely known that there
were actually 2 prototypes built. |
| This image | ExtDescrAccessibility | 1953 Fletcher 'Commando' - a prototype. The Commando was a 6 passenger
version of the Fletcher Flair conceived of and designed by Wendell
Fletcher, an admirer of Porsche innovation and mechanicals. In 1952, the
US Goverment was looking for an amphibious Jeep. Wendell Fletcher had
the idea of designing a Jeep around an air-cooled Porsche 356
four-cylinder engine, bolting the Porsche drivetrain and suspension to
the aluminum tub. He made it light enough (1,475 or 1,490 pounds,
depending on your source) to be transported by air and added a special
transfer case and front differential to make it four-wheel drive. To
make it swim, he adapted the jet-cooling principles of aircraft engineer
Otto Koppen (one of the men responsible for the Ford Trimotor and the
Ford Flivver), which Fletcher Aviation already had applied to its FD-25
Defender. The system doesn |
