We all know that pigs can fly, but what about Pintos? From 1971 to 1973, the Advanced Vehicle Engineers of Van Nuys attempted to answer that question with the AVE Mizar.

Designed by Northrop Institute of Technology aeronautical engineering graduates Henry Smolinski and Harold Blake, the company wanted to create the world's most seamless flying car. Blake attempted to accomplish this by effectively bolting a car to the frame of a Cessna Skymaster, choosing the Ford Pinto for its light weight. Perhaps they forgot the Pinto's reputation for bursting into deadly fireballs.

An early AVE Mizar test flight, flown by test pilot Charles "Red" Janisse, resulted in an emergency landing following a "right wing strut base mounting attachment" failure. Fearing the strain of a turn could be catastrophic, Red chose not to attempt a return to Van Nuys Airport, instead ditching the plane in a field. He then drove the vehicle back under its own power. 

A later test flight encountered the same issue, this time flown by Blake and Smolinski. Lacking Red's experience, the pair tried to return to the runway, resulting in a catastrophic wing failure that crashed the aircraft and killed both men. 

Despite the Mizar's deadly failure, shoddy welding and craftsmanship were more to blame for the accident than the vehicle's design. 

Perhaps some day cars really will be quickly bolted onto sets of wings. Just not Ford Pintos.