The Ministry of Defense's vehicle fleet requires constant renewal due to its strategic importance. And the United States of America is no exception in this sense. Therefore, when in the 1930s there was a need for the supply of new reconnaissance vehicles, one of these was created quite quickly. But he had a peculiarity - you can ride it only … lying on your back.
The history of the American army vehicle Howie "Belly Flopper" Machine Gun Currier began in the early 1930s, when it became clear to the command that the need to create a new reconnaissance off-road vehicle was especially urgent. Then two enthusiasts - Captain Howie and Sergeant Miley - conceived an unusual concept of the necessary car.
It was required to create a car that would be passable enough off-road, high-speed and maneuverable, as well as cheap to manufacture. For this, the authors decided to lighten the SUV as much as possible, saving it from armor and even the top. This is how the Howie "Belly Flopper" Machine Gun Currier reconnaissance vehicle appeared.
Howie and Miley began building the prototype in 1936. When assembling it, they used a 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which was located in the rear of the car, and as a weapon they installed a machine gun in front, as well as boxes with ammunition for it. The result is a 4x4 all-wheel drive car.
However, the most interesting detail about the Howie "Belly Flopper" Machine Gun Currier was the location of the soldiers. The thing is that the driver and machine gunner could only move while lying on their stomachs. Moreover, the first in this position was supposed to drive the car, for which the controls and pedals were located at the rear, and the steering wheel was at the front. The second fighter was supposed to fire from a machine gun in the same way, lying on his stomach.
The authors explained such a design decision by the fact that this type of car allows it to be as inconspicuous as possible, and this is the main thing for the reconnaissance apparatus. Despite the oddities, the command was enthusiastic about the development - the first prototype was initiated and sent for testing. Those turned out to be successful, but then the business stalled.
For more than two years, Captain Howie actively tried to promote his project, but he did not move beyond the design study stage. Bureaucratic delays ultimately ruined the promising idea - while evaluating the possibility of the Howie "Belly Flopper" Machine Gun Currier in mass production, competitors prepared their reconnaissance vehicles for release, the release of which was deemed more expedient. The project was frozen, and the only prototype was disassembled for details.
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