# The return of the flying car! **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 24, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271 "2017-04-24T15:01:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/1 "2017-04-24T15:01:52Z")
[The return of the flying car!](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/technology/flying-car-technology.html) ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/2 "2017-04-24T15:04:41Z")
I want one. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/3 "2017-04-24T15:10:02Z")
One one hand people want cars that drive themselves to reduce accidents… On the other hand are those that want to complicate thing by adding motion in the Z co-ordinate (Flying!) Flying cars are not new. > **[How Flying Cars Will Work](https://auto.howstuffworks.com/flying-car1.htm)** > > The history of flying cars can be traced back to the Curtiss Autoplane in 1917. Learn about the history of flying cars and flying car development. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/4 "2017-04-24T15:13:04Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I want one. I’m holding out for one that swims _and_ flies. > [@Mustangman](#): > > Flying cars are not new. I didn’t claim they were. The title says ‘return’. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/5 "2017-04-24T15:13:08Z")
There’s a company less then 15 miles from my house that makes a flying car. [https://www.terrafugia.com/about-terrafugia/](https://www.terrafugia.com/about-terrafugia/) But this one that Random Troll posted is different. And looks like a blast to fly. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/6 "2017-04-24T15:23:18Z")
That “mega-drone” approach is promising for hobbyists (but I’d hate to have one next door - NOISY). But to me “flying car” has meant something one would use as a car replacement to commute, shop, etc. When do I expect anything like that? No time soon. ---
**Author:** ![B.L.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/848f3c/32.png) [@B.L.E](https://community.cartalk.com/u/B.L.E)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/7 "2017-04-25T02:38:20Z")
I don’t want a flying car, I want a driving airplane. Fixed wings, tractor prop, tail stabilizer and rudder, there are some things we got right 100 years ago. If an airplane’s power fails, you have a glider. If a multi rotor drone’s power fails, you better either have a parachute or never fly any higher than you are willing to fall, say 15 feet above water. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/8 "2017-04-25T04:23:17Z")
That’s pretty cool . . . But using the word car is a real stretch ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 10:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/9 "2017-04-25T10:57:26Z")
I agree with db4690. If it were a true “flying car” what happened to it’s on road capabilities? It is more like a “cargo drone”, only the cargo is a pilot. I wanted o say manned drone, but if it is manned is it still a drone? But it does look a fun toy for the lake house. I think it would be real scary if something happen ove terre firma. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/10 "2017-04-25T12:40:37Z")
You don’t think it can auto-rotate like a helicopter? If the fan blade pitch is adjustable, it should be possible to auto-rotate to a reasonable landing like every helicopter ever made. And it would a bit stupid NOT to design adjustable blade pitch for that very reason. THEN altitude is your lifesaving friend. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/11 "2017-04-25T13:52:40Z")
No adjustable fan pitch, those are just jumbo drone fans. So no auto-rotation possible, I’d bet. Just YAAAAAAAAAAA all the way down! ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/12 "2017-04-25T19:31:14Z")
The three most useless things to an aircraft pilot. Runway behind you. Altitude above you. Fuel in the fuel truck. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-the-flying-car/103271/13 "2017-04-26T00:07:45Z")
Just call it an aircraft and be done with it