Aérotrain

by Michael Satterfield

Aérotrain was developed in France in the early '60s as a possible answer to Europe's need for mass-transit. The name comes not from the streamlined shape, but from the fact that the Aérotrain road along its track on a cushion of air. In fact, the train was more of a plane since it used the power of ground effect to fly along at speeds up to 140 miles per hour. While most of the testing was done in Europe, the Aérotrain was also tested in Pueblo Colorado, in the early 1970s.

Early Prototype