Plot Bunny - Flying Car a Step Closer to Reality

[ShyChiWriter]

You could lose your virginity in the back seat of the family car AND join the Mile-High Club at the same time (if the thing has autopilot).

Yahoo Story

Company Site

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Robert Cummings owned a car-airplane back in the 50s.

http://www.aerocarforsale.com/images/Actor Bob Cummings's N102D - 2-g.jpg

sOMETHING EVEN MORE AMAZING IS A USUAL SUSPECT WITH A REAL BANK ACCOUNT.

 

[rgraham666]

That's all we need. People who can't handle two dimensions travelling in three. (mostly)

 

[mynameisben]

[wrong thread dude - acknowledged]

 

[TxRad]

I learned there is no erotic component to pumping your own gas at the self serve station.

Uh, wrong thread, dude.


The only question, I've got is where you park it called a garanger or hangrage?

 

[Handley_Page]

Imagine the chaos, when approaching bad weather forces a landing on the Interstate / Turnpike / Motorway, the road traffic would be a bit of a problem. And imagine the reactions of the Police !

 

[mynameisben]

I see this fly car hoober-joober as a real possibility. But only as a plaything for the wealthy. Of course, it will require a pilot's license and more insurance than the average mook will ever be able to afford. Same thing for the $200K price tag. That's pretty much where Cessna light planes are now.

It will never, ever become a personal transport for the masses.

 

[SeaCat]

I've looked at the videos and the website and while I think the idea is interesting I do have some questions about the design. To me it just doesn't look all that safe.

A) It has very little Tail Surface. This means it will have a tendancy to side slip during turns and will be very difficult to handle in cross winds.

B) The Horizontal Stabilizer seems to be too small for the size of the aircraft. This means very little control for climbing or decending.

C) There is very little clearance between the rear wheels and the aircraft body. This means you will not be flaring it for a landing but literaly flying it into the ground. This isn't real good for safety reasons.

It states the engine for flying is a Rotax Engine. Is this the same engine used for road driving? Either way it's going to be loud when that Rotax Engine is running as they aren't known for being quiet.

Cat

 

[TE999]

The FAA's already given that jewel 2 thumbs up for both airworthiness and 'sport flying' which requires less hours to get a licence than 'regular' flying.

I'd imagine it's landing speed would be slow so there'd be no 'tail down' landings.

Automobiles used to be only for the 'rich' at one time...until ol' Henry noodled up the 'T' Model...and PC's used to weigh a ton and cost thousands.

 

[SeaCat]

The FAA's already given that jewel 2 thumbs up for both airworthiness and 'sport flying' which requires less hours to get a licence than 'regular' flying.

I'd imagine it's landing speed would be slow so there'd be no 'tail down' landings.

Automobiles used to be only for the 'rich' at one time...until ol' Henry noodled up the 'T' Model...and PC's used to weigh a ton and cost thousands.

Not sure about that. Stall speed on this craft is 45 knots which isn't all that slow. (If I recall correctly that's right around 51 MPH.) Then again I'm not a licensed Pilot nor am I an Engineer.

I personaly would like to see more specs on it as well as more testing on it's stability.

Like I said though I do like the idea and this is the best advance on it I have seen so far.

Cat

 

[ShyChiWriter]

Yeah,

My feeling about these multi-function vehicles has always been that they compromise both functions and end up costing SO much more than if you bought two separate rigs. This one is a great example - it is classified as a light-sport and it is going to list for $200,000. You can pick up something along the lines of an Eagle EA-100 or similar for $100,00-$130,000. Buy two Honda Fits for each end of your regular commute or call Enterprise when you go somewhere new...and you are still way ahead in terms of price and performance. (The boat-cars of the 50's and 60's were similar. Amphicars were very expensive, and they made crappy boats and sucky cars. )

Fact is, you still have to land these at an airfield - much as many of us would like to just lift off when we hit a traffic jam.

When rumors of the ever-promised Moller Skycar resurfaced a few years ago (and that one has Harrier-like hover ability) - experts pointed out that IF such a thing ever came to fruition, the vehicles would have to be fully automated around cities. As rgraham666 pointed out, 2 dimensional movement is already too complicated for most folks.

Still, since the stock and trade around here is fiction - having a vehicle that can take on air and ground, or water and ground, or all three... boy is it fun to think about