Posted on 06/10/2013 7:36:18 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The idea of a flying car has fascinated dreamers and aviation geeks alike since humans first got off the ground with powered flight.
The concept has obvious advantages: the "go anywhere, anytime" freedom of an automobile without any of the traffic congestion that terrestrial drivers face on a daily basis.
Featured in movies like Back to the Future and Blade Runner, this mode of transportation has been restricted to the realm of science-fiction due to the complexity of the drivetrain required and the training that would be needed to operate such a vehicle.
Now, a company called Terrafugia has put forward their vision for a practical flying car. Using electric-gasoline hybrid technology from the cutting edge of the automobile industry and autopilot technology adopted from the aviation industry, the company thinks they have what's needed to bring a flying car to the mass market.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Back in the day, we called these “airplanes”.
HA! Wheels. How 18th century. Why, it doesn’t even come with a pet monkey in a space suit.
Also high lift at slow speeds. . .a plus for short takeoffs and landings.
Lousy car and lousy plane. That’s the problem.
The demo video shows the propellors folding up for “cruising speed”. I guess it becomes a jet aircraft at that point.
The cruise speed is probable not much higher than the speed you can drive on interstates. The only advantage is you can fly over congestion...
Where did you catch me in that uncomprimising position?
They are claiming 200 mph with a range of 500 miles.
Noodleplaning?
I can remember flying a Cessna 150 at a IAS of 105 knots against a head wind and I was barely keeping up with the cars on the interstate. Kind of weird....
Unless that is a 2000 hp engine behind that fan no plane with stubby wings like that is going over 100 knots. Maybe in a power dive it’ll go 200 knots....
There will never be a practical flying car.
The problem is 98% of the people can’t handle 2 dimensions, adding a 3rd will be a blood bath.
The sad part is if flying cars ever do become popular, in the left lane of the top lane of 50 vertical lanes there will still be some @$$¶º|£ driving slowly and blocking the fast traffic behind them.
Are you looking at the old version or the new design? Both pictures were posted in this thread.
Excellent.....
They old one, the Transition, does have top speed 100 knots
http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft/transitionR
Maybe they are adding a hurricane tail wind.
Saw one of those idiots the other day- left lane doing 50 with a bumper sticker- “Get off my ass, I’m saving gas”. Fine, want to be a jackass and go under the speed limit- do it in the right lane.
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