Another "flying car". Will we ever learn?

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Zardoz

Zardoz

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I wonder how many people are going to lose their shirts investing in this thing? :

The Terrafugia Transition

Is it just me, or do the wings look way too small for an aircraft powered by a 100 HP engine?

(Can you make the "animation" work? I can't. If they can't make a web site ani functional, what are the chances of the car/plane ever actually doing what they claim it will?)
 
Weird plan...I got the animtion to work and all the transition is the wings on the side fold upward,Not a very creative idea:odd:
 
Just guessing, but it looks like the wings need to be a tiny bit longer to create enough lift. The thing doesn't look too infeasible; just impractical.
 
I really have no idea why people are still pursuing the "flying car" idea. Do you how complicated it is to get a pilot's liscence? It's rough, time consuming, expensive process. The equivalent of a $10,000 car in airplane terms cots about $60,000. How dangerous would it be to have everyone driving, err, piloting an airplane? Where the hell would you take off from?
If this was a plane that you'd house at an airport it'd work, I guess. It might need a little more wingage, though. But why would you buy this when you could just get a real airplane? What are you going to do, drive it around the airport aimlessly? There are some good ideas, there are some bad ideas, and this will never work, meaning it's a bad idea. Most people would be scared as **** to drive, err, pilot their own plane.
It only has 100 hp, so it's not even practical as a car. I wonder what the blindspots will be like, with that prop in back and those wings folded up right behind the side windows. Where are the mirrors? What happens when you hit a curb with that canard? You'd have to fly at highway speed, because the lift created by the shape of the body would make it way too unstable to drive at those speeds. This is an idea that's been tried many times before, never worked, and I think it just won't work.
 
How would you go down a motorway without taking off, do the wings fold? Also wouldn't it be very VERY wide, about three lanes wide in wings?

Edit: Just found out how they will deal with the wings, perfect except somone inside could not see out to the sides in "car mode" and the fact that the wings when folded are significantly taller than the car will probably lead to greatly decreased stability
 
The wing span might be big enough to produce enough lift - it just depends on how much the vehicle weighs. For steady, level flight: L = W (Lift = Weight). The lighter the car, the less lift you need to produce in order to get it and keep it airborne.

I just don't see why you would want the rudders to deflect inward, while in car mode. That's just asking for extra drag, like the thing doesn't have enough as it is, already :rolleyes:

Other than that, it's just too impractical altogether.

The Wizard.
 
Also you've got to remember Air traffic control, if these things did come into production the skies would be more cluttered and accidents more frequent.
I doubt air traffic controllers could moniter all the little cars flying about the place as well as planes. 👎
 
Actually, the problem with the flying car is that it's already been done... and it wasn't practical the first time, what makes anyone think it'll be practical the next time?

It's a much more convincing concept than the Mohler was... guess it's no coincidence that it looks a lot like the original "flying car"... at least conceptually... a simple, small car, with wings, tail and pusher prop added.

flyingcar.jpg

aerocar.jpg


But the original Aerocar had the advantage of removable wings and aircraft engine... why lug all that extra weight around when you don't need it?
 
niky
flyingcar.jpg
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Side note: The Museum of Flight (where this picture is from) is an awesome place to visit if you're ever in Seattle. There are some really cool airplanes there. The SR-71 always gives me goosebumps :).
 
The last thing we need is idiots in the sky with their cell phones.
 
Hahah lol.

Yeah I think this is a rediculous idea honestly...
I think it's a stupid idea to fly like we drive a car anyway.
Like McLaren said, there are just too many stupid drivers already on the road, what if something stupid happens in the air:eek: I guess you wont have really good brakes:scared:
 
Those things do fly just push them off a cliff and they'll end up where they belong.

Would you really want everyday people flying round in plane-cars they'd just be missiles hovering above your house. So many people can't drive the last thing Id want is to have to carry a steel umbrella to protect me from all the shrapnel that would end up flying around as a result :(
 
kylehnat
Side note: The Museum of Flight (where this picture is from) is an awesome place to visit if you're ever in Seattle. There are some really cool airplanes there. The SR-71 always gives me goosebumps :).
Click to expand...
I thought it looked familiar. I've taken a roadtrip up there with my friends. It was loads of fun!
 
Call that a flying car?

flyingcar.jpg


This is a flying car.
 
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