Slovakia's successful sportscar that can also fly

General Discussion
1

It converts from plane to car (and vice-versa) in ~3 minutes, is powered by a BMW engine, and may actually go into production!

1 Like
2

Way cool. I bet it’s a bear to park though. That’s an interesting way to store the wings and tail section. I hope it does get built.

3

I’m thinking this isn’t really going to take off

Flying cars have never been grounded in practicality

This company is betting on a wing and a prayer


:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

2 Likes
4

This company in Woburn MA has only built prototypes and has just recently been approved by the FAA. My company was right down the road from them a few years ago before we moved. I’ve seen their craft on the road. Haven’t seen one fly yet.

Terrafugia | The Future of Personal Transportation | The Flying Car Is Here

5

None of these will make much of a difference, they’re VERY expensive and require a pilot’s license. Interesting curiosities.

2 Likes
6

And FAA certification to fly!

1 Like
7

Pilotless planes are being designed as we speak. If a few years this could have the potential of being completely pilot/driver free. No pilots or drivers license needed.

But I do agree this is only for the rich and famous.

8

Once those pilotless drone taxis ‘take off’, I’m not looking forward to all the noise.

9

Very interesting. As a practical matter, though, where do I load groceries, household supplies, cases of cat food and bags of cat litter, bags of mulch, etc. to get home from the store?

Same issue is why that although I’ve had fun test driving a few sporty sports cars I’ve always ended up buying an easy to use in every way grocery getter 4-D sedan with a generous trunk that is easy to load and unload.

That said, the flying car DOES look fun!!!

10

It ever becomes a reality all I can see is every town will need to build runways and have a traffic controller at every one and as Marnet pointed out there is no room to haul anything other than a woman’s purse.

11

here comes the Jetson’s.

3 Likes
12

And there goes the neighborhood. :laughing:

3 Likes
13

I disagree.
Since it is roadworthy, it wouldn’t be necessary for “every town” to build runways.
The closest airport to my home is ~ 6 miles away, and there are two other ones w/in ~a 20 mile radius.

If I had one of these vehicles, I could land at any of those facilities and then easily drive to my home. Obviously. this is not necessarily typical of every area, but it is also clear that “every town” wouldn’t need to build runways. And, these small regional airports do NOT have Air Traffic Controllers.

Full Disclosure: I don’t plan to buy one, even though I could.

1 Like
14

OK maybe not every town but as far as traffic controllers go if people start using these for commuting can you imagine rush hour traffic without a controller?

15

All goes to say these might work for 100 mile type trips, not commuting. Article in today’s WSJ to that effect.

1 Like
16

Commuting to work under about 100 miles by plane wouldn’t work. Someone that lives near an airport and travels 100 or more miles to work, which is again near an airport would work. Someone I know that worked at Lockheed in Sunnyvale, CA had colleagues that lived in the Central Valley over 100 miles east. Four of them flew to Ames Filed, right next to Lockheed. They had a beater car at Ames that they used to drive 5 minutes to their offices. This wouldn’t work for many people, but it did for these guys.

17

Even here in NH I know of a couple homes that have their own air strip for their private plane. One is in Goffstown NH, and the other is in Dunbarton NH. And then there’s Dean Kamen who has his own Helicopter pad in Bedford NH.