An Aircar In Every Garage?
from the roads?--where-we're-going-we-don't-need-roads... dept
It seems like you get one of these stories every few months, telling us that there will be flying cars in our future. This one, at least, is a little different from most. Usually, they’re focused on a single manufacturer of flying cars, who has yet to produce a fully working prototype. This article, though, looks at the overall state of the industry to see what hurdles are holding back flying cars. They suggest that now that the military is looking for flying cars, it could be the driving force to eventually bring out civilian flying cars (though, there are plenty of other hurdles to deal with). Some companies are working on “hybrids” that work well both as cars on the ground, and as mini-planes in the air. Of course, after seeing so many of these articles I’m going to remain skeptical until someone sits me down in one of these suckers and lets me take it for a spin.
Comments on “An Aircar In Every Garage?”
It's still all Moller
Well, the article still is written around Paul Moller, who has produced an impressive amount of press?and an equally impressive lack of actual results?in the “flying car” arena for more than 40 years.
The article does, however, at least give some time to the practical and political hurdles, and a short mention of one other would-be manufacturer. As for the hurdles, this article isn’t really an improvement on the adequate Slate article that it links to.
Moller is in his late 60’s now, so the real news probably is that it won’t be too much longer that we have to hear how his “skycar” is just around the corner.
Re: It's still all Moller
Moller’s Skycar concept has been around for quite a while. Coupla years back, I attempted to work for these clowns. They’re as secretive as they are impressively lacking in workable prototypes of any of their technology.
geezz
while these are a pretty neat idea, most morons on the road today can’t handle normal cars on a flat 2D surface…I’d HATE to think of these fully licensed sunday drivers FLYING…
At that point I start living in a bunker and only come out with a heavily armored umbrella.
I've always wondered...
Why this concept holds such appeal. Having looked at the “flying car” it appears to me to be shaped much like a streamlined brick. If it ever gets off the ground, it ought to fly much like a brick should it ever lose power.
More than that, it ought to burn up energy faster than the average 1959 Cadillac, and sound louder than the average helicopter. Shouldn’t we be looking to improve economy and lessen waste?
Finally, considering the amount of trouble the average motorist seems to have handling a vehicle that travels in two dimensions, I fear the consequences of adding a third. The little fender bender down on main street will look a lot uglier at 20,000 feet. Computer guided control? Don’t make me laugh.
Flying Cars
I believe that we can make Flying Cars happen. And that’s because look how far we’ve come in the last 50 years, to a century. We’ve gone from the kranck up waggons of the 18th century, to the new Ford F-150s that have full entertainment systems all at the touch of a button. So, why can we not have Flying Cars. I believe that 2006-2009 we will be seeing more Skycar 4 passenger machines in garages than the hottest cars of the 90s. But I could be wrong. I’m just saying what I think can be done without a problem with the technology we’ve created in between 1950, and 2000. If the original models do succed in all of thier testings, and a million more are made from the original models, and put in car dealerships. I hope I’ll have one. Because flying at the speed of 100 MPH, 100 feet in the air beats sitting in freway traffic by a heack of alot. And besides anyone would love the fact that they can get in thier very own Flying car whenever they want. I’d probably crash somewhere in the middle of the north Atlantic Ocean within the first 24 hours I had my own with how much I used it. I’d run out of gas. But I really do think they will become worldwide cars by 2006-2009.
StrongMobile "Magic Dragon" Aircar Project
I’ll admit to some bias, as i think that my preliminary design is the best. I cordially invite anyone to visit my website, strongware.com/dragon and see if you agree.
StrongMobile "Magic Dragon" Aircar Project
I’ll admit to some bias, as i think that my preliminary design is the best. I cordially invite anyone to visit my website, strongware.com/dragon and see if you agree.
StrongMobile "Magic Dragon" Aircar Project
I’ll admit to some bias, so I believe that my preliminary design is the best of the current crop. I cordially invite you to visit my website and see if you agree.
http://www.strongware.com/dragon.