Because it has tires and not treads, it’s OK to drive on paved roads (treads tend to tear up asphalt), and apparently legal to own and drive in the greater 48. Jay Leno has one in his car collection.
The Stipa "Flying Barrel" was, it could be plausibly argued, the pioneer of the turbofan engine that powers pretty much all today's big passenger jets.
Evidently. 141 test flights, caught fire while taking off, no reported casualties. There’s a second one in a museum that is pristine because the project was cancelled right as they completed it. IIRC the pilots did not appreciate the noise level inside the cockpit. Can’t imagine why. Doesn’t help that the canopy is not hinged: it goes over the nose.
