The Flying Car Still A Concept

Here is the first of the "Jetson Age" Skycars. Moller International has been at it for more then twenty years in developmental programs. This is by far the most advanced and private industry concept coming to life.

Check out the news and view the files at; http://www.moller.com/skycar/

It is worth the time to dream.

Thank you for that link

Now that is my ideal a family car.

I think the two modes are so incompatible that they will never become a viable concept, sort of like a combined hammer/butterfly net.

The solution to each mode is so far from the other that it will never work economically. Can you imagine a crash test between a common SUV and any airworthy vehicle of the same passenger load but 1/4 the weight?

That said, you can make them and as long as you have turn to land on and take off and a way to control the 1000 bumblebees in the air you can make a craft for the wealthy.

Did you ever see the classic science fiction novels of the 30's? The cityscapes were filled with thousands of small flying craft...it never hapenned

I thought we were in the midst of an energy crisis, not to mention global warming. These things make a V8 look like and economy engine when it comes to fuel consumption.

Besides we can't even get people to park cars properly imagine letting them loose in 3 dimensions.

Some how I just can't see it coming off in the near future. I'm going to stick to my solar powered glider and hope the airspace doesn't get any more clogged with lunatics than it currently is.

You know, I am reminded of one of the famous stories about Henry Ford.

The detractors of Henry's "horseless carriage" said to Henry "Henry, how do you ever expect this invention to be successful? There aren't any roads...."

Henry just smiled....

Build it, and the voice of the people will be heard.

Seems to me, like the radiowaves, air traffic routes, etc., that the auction for "local air routes for low-flying "skycars" might be where the real money is. How do you start buying up these routes?

Moller's invention has been grounded by the same logic as Cessna and Piper - the monstrous liability in grand tort law. Look for these things to take off first in China, where the number of lawyers is small...

The issue of MPG is the same as for the current "horseless carriage" - the current engine designs are inefficient. As soon as a friend of mine builds his prototype engine, the entire bar shifts upward - the skycars will still look inefficient at 50 mpg, because groundcars will be running at 100 mpg. I'm betting this becomes common before 2010.

small planes are fairly efficient in passenger miles per gallon as long as they cruise at their economical speed, with all seats full.

As it stands you could not make this a success due to the huge airspace needed around each plane. Cars at least can stop when traffic gets dense. Planes cannot, thus you reach a maximun density of plave traffic far sooner than with car traffic.

It matters not how efficient the engine is, because you cannot beat carnot. A fuel cells with electric motors...not good enough now and may never be.

Nuclear..lead shielding kills it dead.

Much like the combination hammer and flyswatter that was invented in Taiwan, there will be few sales. A few gimmick sales, but no volume.

Tort law is not the proble, reality is.

:) :O> OH MY.......I would rather see a serious advancement in small nuclear reactors to generate the required energy to power a skycar over the use of inefficient combustion units. Just imagine a small reactor powered aircraft using a magnetic pulse driven turbine system. I can see the Flash Gordons and Buck Rogers in the future breaking the berrier of the single plain. An improvement of the Wright Brothers miracle machine that put us into the next stage of the evolution of mankind.

This is why I really enjoy this forum....all this brain power would have given Albert a big fat woody.....lol......

While the engineering for the 'flying car` might be workable,
(especially with modern composites), the problem of 'the nut
that holds the wheel` is not.

Considering the behavior we see on the roads every day, do
we REALLY want to put the average driver in a fluid, three axis
enviornment complicated at times by weather?

As a one-time pilot, (too old now), I can tell you that the level
of commitment to training and the forethought required for safe
operation is simply not found in most people. - Think of that clerk
at McDonalds, (who can't even do arithmetic), turned loose above
your head in a 1500 lb. vehicle loaded with fuel. - (Shudder!)

Flying cars, What a concept! Having the ability to move and transport in levels. Sounds soo good. I bet the consept of a flying car would better approached as a hover craft or a helicopter type vehicle. Why one might ask the simple reason when a vechile with wings stops at stand still the vechlie falls out of the sky or glides. A hovercraft or rotating propellers spinnning above the craft allows the craft to

A: STOP! and remain at a standstill.

B: Allows the craft to reach altitude without having to move forward (vertical take off) .

C: If you choose a hovercraft with a rubber skirt. The craft can be built like really

really big bumper car.

Those are just some simple engnering aspects to overcome. I can say the positive aspect of a hovering craft would be the really clean roads the public would have with spinning blades. Oh I can just see the accidents now; the the general public would have; ie ((Newpaper headlines) Neighbore beheads pet dog landing his hovercraft at home). But all the good aspects and bad aspects of a flying car I really would like to see it come to reality.