A Viable Flying Car

[ckissick]

This looks like a flying car that might have a market.

The Buzz Log - Flying Car a Step Closer to Reality - Yahoo! Buzz

[Zeke]

The real way to look at this concept is to call it a drivable airplane. We are not ever going to be able to take off and land on Interstates and such. But, we can take off and land at FAA sanctioned airfields and drive away as long as the things meet DOT standards.

If I lived in Montana, I'd want one. Also island communities.

[stealthn]

Even got a Momo...

[island911]

Well if it's not a hybrid, it's just not cool. All transportation must be drab and expensive (except bicycles - they can be CF et al . .w/ technicolor spandex)

Seriously, flying cars were nix'd in the past out of fears of air congestion over populated areas. Now, with so much positioning precision and communication it's a more viable scenario.

[Tim Hancock]

Our society is too entrenched in it's govt regulated safety to ever make a flying car viable. Airplanes need to be built very light to perform efficiently. Adding weight to make them roadable is bad enough, but when you add weight to make them "crashworthy" (airbags, bumpers, good brakes etc).... well the resulting abomination will end up performing miserably as an airplane.

I love the concept, but these will never become mainstream in this country.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I like going flying precisely because the barriers to entry keep out a lot of the idiots. Yes there are some, but by-in-large when I'm in the air I'm in the company of professionals or at least people who take the activity seriously.

Opening the doors to the average idiot with a driver's license and a fat wallet would ruin this and make the overall aviation system CONSIDERABLY less safe and secure.

I'm far more secure-feeling in the air than on the ground for exactly this reason. I don't WANT the average person having the ability to get in the air. Not at all. Keep the standards for acting as a pilot high - it helps. People have a lot of skin in the game and it takes a substantial commitment. Contrast that with driver's licenses which are issued to any fool that can fog a mirror, mostly because of the financial motivations therewith (governments LOVE people to have driver's licenses - free money for them when they drive, buy cars, buy insurance, buy gas, etc.)

[Ray B]

Not to worry about average drivers in airplanes. Darwin takes care of those folks...

[Rot 911]

Pretty cool, but not as cool as this:

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by milt

The real way to look at this concept is to call it a drivable airplane. We are not ever going to be able to take off and land on Interstates and such. But, we can take off and land at FAA sanctioned airfields and drive away as long as the things meet DOT standards.

If I lived in Montana, I'd want one. Also island communities.

+1, flying car is a dream, its drivable airplanes that might happen.

I wonder if you could base your airplane off of a three wheeled vehicle that would classify as a motorcycle. You skip crash regulations, a motor cycle also has a good aerodynamic profile and power/weight.

[Jim Richards]

I'm waiting for one like the Jetson's car:



which folds up into an attache case.

[biosurfer1]

I'm not sure I would put a video of myself and friends "ecstatically celebrating" that the thing actually flew, in the promotional video.

[RWebb]

nice, but does it have a built in iPhone??