Flying Automobile

[aljhoa]

See
Flying Car Video - Terrafugia on Yahoo! Video
Al

[ImBill]

I don't think I'd call that a flying car, more like a rolling/folding airplane... I've seen similar craft before. Kind of neat, but I'm still holding out for a flying saucer or a mini jet. That guy that straps on a couple of Jato rockets to wings attached to his arms looked like he was having fun, but the flight doesn't last very long.

[aljhoa]

I don't think I'd call that a flying car, more like a rolling/folding airplane... I've seen similar craft before. Kind of neat, but I'm still holding out for a flying saucer or a mini jet. That guy that straps on a couple of Jato rockets to wings attached to his arms looked like he was having fun, but the flight doesn't last very long.

I must agree with you,
I only posted it here to show how long it takes to develop simple flying car concept that exists close to 100 years.

The freedom of driving and flying only Advanced Flying Automobile can deliver, as you do not have to worry about the weather or ground transportation, see AFA - Advanced Flying Automobile - Sokol A400 Home Page.

Dependent on heliports is the Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft that has been in development for over 30 years and is found at http://www.moller.com/

Al

[aljhoa]

Autovolantor

Moller has also plans for flying car like the autovolantor
http://www.moller.com/images/rightMe...volantor_1.jpg

more about it at
http://www.moller.com/index.php?opti...128&Itemid=105

Al

[ImBill]

I like the Moller design. The vertical take-off and landing would be much cooler. I can just see people driving down a crowded freeway trying to get enough room between them and the cars in front to get enough clearance for take off with a conventional winged craft. Like its not bad enough out there already. Of course, someone plopping down right in front of you could be disconcerting for awhile, too.

[aljhoa]

I like the Moller design. The vertical take-off and landing would be much cooler. I can just see people driving down a crowded freeway trying to get enough room between them and the cars in front to get enough clearance for take off with a conventional winged craft. Like its not bad enough out there already. Of course, someone plopping down right in front of you could be disconcerting for awhile, too.

Looks are deceiving, cool Moller VTOL car has only ballistic parachute whereas AFA has also wings.
Autovolantor is not as simple as the helicopter it requires redundant computers and sophisticated programming to keep it sable in the air thus it is very unlikely that the car would takeoff into the air without the flight controller’s clearance.
AFA without sophisticated flight controls has more flexibility provided there are no power lines above and cars around it.
Al

[Jonson nike]

Right now our cars can move in 4 directions. Left, right, forward, and backward and most people can't handle this. Adding 2 new directions (Up and down) would put accident rates to an all time high.

[aljhoa]

Right now our cars can move in 4 directions. Left, right, forward, and backward and most people can't handle this. Adding 2 new directions (Up and down) would put accident rates to an all time high.

Using your terminology, adding 2 new directions is not the problem for less than 10% of population that can pass the exams and get the pilots license, for the rest (to eliminate human error) takeoff, landing and flying would have to be computer controlled on the "highways in the sky".
Al

[aljhoa]

Maverick


Another pricey contraption comprised of four-wheeled vehicle having "swamp-boat" propeller and para-foil kite attached to the tubular structural frame. The fly-by-wire aerial controls are connected to car’s equipment so that the under-designed "dune buggy" "drives" like a car in the air.
The vehicle can reach 60mph under four seconds, take off at 150 feet, fly close to 40mph and land within 150 feet. Ram-air wing deployment should be simple, more @:
Beyond Roads | Maverick Sport

Specifications @
Beyond Roads | Maverick Sport
Al

[jibbguy]

The flying cars would have to use Ducted Fans for positive lift; and would be required to rely little on airfoils. That's the only way we'll ever see it (imo, they will NOT let us have "anti-grav" in our lifetimes, even when there is general "FE disclosure").

And you'll never get that without motors that have a much higher thrust- to- weight ratio than we see today (with the possible exception of Raphial Morgato's "M.Y.T.") ... and these power sources would need to have and use little or no fuel storage as well.. maybe a small water tank lol?. Or a new light super-cap/battery meld technology perhaps... or maybe a new super-fuel based on Hydrogen with much more usable energy per mass than any petroleum-based one. Current electric motor tech, including "All-PMM's" lol, are not up to it yet.... the range of these vehicles have to be several hundred miles, as safety and common sense demands it if they are going to be used by consumers / private individuals for commute or whatever.... lol the controlled Traffic Patterns over cities could easily add 50 miles to a 30 mile commute

[aljhoa]

Verticopter

Although not a roadable vehicle, as flying craft, verticopter could take-off in front of a garage.


YouTube - Garrow Aircraft's Verticopter VTOL concept

[aljhoa]

Car?


Lilium's Flying Jet-powered Taxi Completes Its First Test Flights Over Germany



Al