Flying car... I want one....

[shropshire 0]

clicky

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[shropshire 0]

Strange... I can't find any flying photos....umm

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[MikeJD 0]

Saw this in the newspaper this morning. Funny, there have been quite a few 'flying car' prototypes produced over the last few decades, but each one is somehow presented as a brand new invention. This is one of the least ugly I've seen, though.
The media always trot out the same stuff about avoiding traffic jams, etc. Like you could just put your foot down and then zoom up, up and away above the gridlock. But first you'd have to find a long enough stretch of clear road to use as a runway!

Surely the main obstacle to this kind of vehicle becoming commonplace isn't the cost or the technical challenge - it's the logistics of being able to use it safely and practically in the real world.

I'd love to know whether one of these designs will ever make it past the concept stage and into mass production/ consumption.

[BillyVance 34]

Maybe they haven't gotten to that point yet, I dunno. I've seen stories as far back as three years ago, I think, about these car-planes being in the research and development phase. Where I live, instead of a 6 hour drive to the beach, you could fly down there, have fun all day, and fly back home in time for dinner! Of course, it did say the price would be in the 6 figure range, so only the filthy rich would have them.

I think Popular Mechanics had the story I read... I don't remember much of the details.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[MikeJD 0]

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Strange... I can't find any flying photos....umm

Flying photos? What about some from the 1940s?
http://www.retrofuture.com/flyingcar.html

Admittedly, the ConvAIRCAR wasn't self-contained - you had to attach a 'flight unit' separately.

Ironically, I guess as the technology has improved over the years, the practicability has worsened. 60 years ago you'd have had more chance of finding somewhere to take off, and less chance of hitting something while airborne.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Strange... I can't find any flying photos....umm

I found a video of one in action .

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[shropshire 0]

Haven't seen that since I were a lad.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[GooManChew 0]

this looks more realistic

there is video of the springtail (same engins - NOT car planform) in flight

[MikeJD 0]

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this looks more realistic

there is video of the springtail (same engins - NOT car planform) in flight

Am I the only one that thinks that resembles a camo barbeque set?

[piratemike 0]

Quote

Quote

Strange... I can't find any flying photos....umm

Flying photos? What about some from the 1940s?
http://www.retrofuture.com/flyingcar.html

Admittedly, the ConvAIRCAR wasn't self-contained - you had to attach a 'flight unit' separately.

Ironically, I guess as the technology has improved over the years, the practicability has worsened. 60 years ago you'd have had more chance of finding somewhere to take off, and less chance of hitting something while airborne.

The concept of having a unit that needs to be attached to the car to fly seems like a very practical solution. You drive to your local airport where you store your flight unit, attach it, fly to another airport, unhook it, and drive away.

Most of the modern flying cars focus on making the tiny car fly by itself, a proposition that seems like it would use a lot more energy given the inferior aerodynamics you can get out of a car body.

[shropshire 0]

>

Compared to a Nomad

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[piratemike 0]

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>

Compared to a Nomad

You mean compared to this?!
http://www.caraudiomag.com/features/0703_cae_chevy_nomad/photo_02.html

Damn man, look at that stripe! That's got to provide enough lift by itself to counter the forces of the almost completely flat headlights and grill.
I mean, come on, it's got a curved front window. What else do you need?

eddited to add the freeekin "url" tags

[shropshire 0]

or even this ...

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Thanatos340 1]

For REAL aerodynamics, You need something Super Cool.. Like an early 70`s Pinto.

The Mitzar!! It flew a few times till the one time it didn’t. Pintos don’t fly so well when the wings fall off as the Inventors discovered.

[shropshire 0]

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And here's the pretty little lady test pilot, AVE Vice President Lois McDonald. .

Don't you just love those bygone un-PC days?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[SansSuit 1]

How about this one?

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Taylor%20Aerocar.asp

Peace,
-Jeff.

Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

[azdiver 0]

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How about this one?

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Taylor%20Aerocar.asp

Peace,
-Jeff.

hey a cessna!!! nice

light travels faster than sound, that's why some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak