Whaddyacallit #107 - SOLVED - Waldo Waterman's Arrowbile

[Ray B.]

Ever seen this ?

Please, respond below and let us know the make and model designation of the car posted here.
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Also, please be sure to check out our other puzzles, and, please post a puzzle of your own if you'd like - the more, the merrier.
Thanks.

[Tuckeroo]

Aha!  A Waterman Aeromobile!

[Ray B.]

Waterman for sure, but "Aeromobile" was not its true name.

[Otto Puzzell]

Is it an Arrowplane?

[Otto Puzzell]

Waterman's Aerobile

[Ray B.]

All right ! This is going to be another puzzle with two winners I guess...
Aerobile isn't false, but it was more of a generic name by which every flying car would soon be called.
What I am after is the original name of this one (it is even written on the body on other photographs).

[Otto Puzzell]

Whatsit?

[neilshouse]

Arrowbile?

[Ray B.]

"Whatsit" is the first Waterman creation, but this one is the "Arrowbile"
The whole story here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1582483/posts
One point for Tuckeroo, one for neilshouse. I hate that kind of dilemma.

[Otto Puzzell]

As it sits at the Smithsonian, it's called the Aerobile.

[Ray B.]

I won't go against the Smithsonian, but...
This is kind of blurred, but what you can read looks much more (if only by the length of the word) like "ARROWBILE" than "AEROBILE".

[Paul Jaray]

Whait a minute...was that open for the Pro?
And this one as well...http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=4317.msg27096#msg27096...

[Otto Puzzell]

Quite right, PJ.

I've cleared my guesses from the other post, and deducted the point from my total that Ray awarded here.

[Paul Jaray]

No problem....but why do not move that puzzle here?

[Tuckeroo]

I should try to subtract from the confusion rather than add to it.  When Waterman built the first front-engined Studebaker-based models, the spelling was indeed "Arrowmobile."  What you have shown in the top picture of the puzzle is a rear-engined model, at which time the spelling was changed to "Aeromobile".

[Ray B.]

So what about the Arrowbile script photograph? I'm a little lost there. Did you check the link I gave above? I let you solve this mystery.

[Tuckeroo]

That's one of the earlier front-engined models.

[Ray B.]

I am sorry, it's not a front engine one (I think you mean the Whatsit, see my link). Here is the full frame photograph with Arrowbile written on the body. I take it this was Arrowbile N°1, and my puzzle showed Arrowbile N°2. It think it never was "Arrowmobile". It may have been changed, afterwards, to Aerobile, but not Aeromobile (you may mix it with the Airomobile, who was not a flying car). But I'm to lazy too check it.

The server won't let me upload the goddam picture. Those interested can check the link.

[Tuckeroo]

My brain somehow added an "m" to both variations on the script.  

However, it seems prototypes 1-5 were "Arrowbiles"  The script on the door is one of those prototypes.  The prototype at the top of the posting is number 6.  Number 6 was the "Aerobile," which is why I (attempted) to declare it by that spelling.

[Tuckeroo]

Well, I'm still not sure when the name was switched over.  I was convinced that was #6 at the top, but if you say it's #2, than "Arrowbile" may be correct.  Confusing, to be sure!

[guido66]

Another photo:

[grobmotorix]

No visible puzzle photo...

Scanned from a 1938 German magazine:

[Wendax]

And the original puzzle car in the state of transformation: