Comments on: Flying car ready for takeoff?

MIT students working on a vehicle--resembling an SUV with retractable wings--they hope will carry two people on 100- to 500-mile hops.
Images: Terrafugia's flying car

[JackfromBerkeley]

I tried writing the company but their web site isn't up

If any of the company's principals feels like immersing themselves
in the effluvia of the unwashed masses, perhaps they will read this
and take my suggestion and go see the Pitcairn AC-37 Roadable
Gyrocopter in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Langley,
Virginia, anyway.

[JackfromBerkeley]

You can fly too, if you want to badly enough

If you're the kind of person who thinks Why You Can't, then you
won't.
If you're like me, you already do.

[akvish]

Students at MIT give flying car a shot

I have carefully researched the Flying Car
Technology for about a decade or more now.

Flying Car is possible. But one has to define
the problem carefully and approach from basics. I just applied for a couple of provisional
patent in India in December 2005.

If one looks carefully into aerospace technologies, there is a MISSING LINK in relevance of such tehnologies to automobile.

Once we solve this, Flying Car does become a
reality. It is closer to reality than one can
think of. One must detach from looking at this
'problem' from aircraft point of view and take
a viwpoint from 'automobile' side instead.

Sure, existing solutions are not convincing
enough....

[JackfromBerkeley]

I look forward to seeing it at Oshkosh

Every year at the end of July, the Experimental Aircraft Association
holds their annual fly-in. I know you know of it, good sir, and I
thought to let these other readers be aware of it too.

If you like things that fly, there's a lot of that at Oshkosh.
Everything new and most everything that's old and still flies is well
represented. Oshkosh is a party, like a week-long New Year's if
you have plane tastes.

[technewsjunkie]

Fender benders on my head

Some people can't even drive while "grounded".
It scares me to think they may be flying over head!

Yikes!

[sportav]

Ridiculous

Don't confuse the qualifications for driving a car with what it takes to become a private pilot or a sport pilot.

[Kalama]

AeroCar

Molt Taylor --- 1956 ----
http://www.aerocar.com/

[Kalama]

Interesting link with QT .mov's

http://museum.eaa.org/collection/aircraft/Taylor%20Aerocar.asp


click your way to video's

[Earl Benser]

Shades of James Bond.....

.... or rather The Man With The Golden Gun......

[JackfromBerkeley]

ahh, working at last

I got through. Error my fault, not theirs.

[val31]

death trap

There are too many wrecks on the roads now can you imagine how many wrecks there will be if just anybody could operate these vehicles? I think this is a good idea for commercial purposes. It would be great to travel that way and less expensive but by no means should the manufacturers make these vehicles available to just anybody

[Junkie Man of Machine]

Ready to Fly, but No DRINKING....

I could see this happening, but the drunk driving/flying laws, would have to be harsher...much harsher.

[Jakesty]

Police wouldn't like this thing

Anybody watch COPS? They chase these guys around and they're being stupid, then some guy opens up the wings and takes off on the cop.
Yeah, COPS have helicopters and stuff, but not in bumble-****-no man's land.
Then as this option to the public gets abused, the police will want to enforce new features on it like they could control what you do or something.
Personally, I want one of those roof mounted parachutes. This thing won't be maintained like a real plane and it will become more of a hazard to drive with parts that fail.
Jake

[zaznet]

Who comes in when you wreck?

Is it a DMV or FAA issue when you crash this thing? :)

I think you will find many states being unfriendly to a car that can be switched into a plane. The DMV for each state will have to allow or not allow registration for use of this vehicle on it's roads. I doubt any state is ready for it yet.

[awolff]

Viable product? What about a flying motorcycle?

The classic problem with roadable aircraft is that it is difficult to make an aircraft that will meet DOT standards. The DOT requirements for roadworthiness and crash safety add substantial weight. If these guys were to have a chance of meeting both these standards and their goal of LSA (Light Sport) classification, they?d have to use exotic materials. And that could easily push their price beyond their stated goal of $150,000. At $150K and above, who wants to buy this rather than a $50,000 plane and hire a limo or taxi once they have reached their destination?

Not trying to sound like an ad, just looking for feedback. My proposal for a viable roadable aircraft is a flying motorcycle that allows the pilot to drive a standard, commercial motorcycle and ride from the airport, leaving his wings, on to his destination.

I welcome the thoughts of this group.

Visit http://www.wolffaerocycle.com for more information.

-Adam Wolff

[Earl Benser]

Just another version of ultra-light....

... nice idea, but certainly nothing new.

[JackfromBerkeley]

You're a brave person to welcome some of these thoughts

I looked at your web site. Very imaginative. Leaving the flying
bits at an airport is like the old Fulton Airmobile. I like that
you've thought about all this for a while and there aren't many of
us that have. Me, I'm going to wait until I have a flying thing to
show before I ask folks for deposits. I too remember Jim Bede
although in retrospect, not building a BD-5J was actually the
right thing for a man with a family. It turned out to be the most
dangerous plane ever designed. Hey I even grew up in Jersey
too. Good luck and I hope to see you at Oshkosh with your new
flying machine. To those who say there is no market, I'd say
that if they saw the reaction of the crowd at Oshkosh to Molt's
Aerocar as it flew by, they'd reconsider that opinion.

[jClark006]

?Car? or ?Plane w/ Folding Wings? ?

This ?Flying Car? concept seams it was not designed with consideration to automotive regulations and design specifications. For example, the folding wings will cause blind spot problems, there is no capability for a rearview mirror, no turning signals and the wheels don?t really look like they can get over a speed bump.

Kudos on the nice graphic, but read the entire SAE regulations and design specifications guide to understand how to make it possible to drive on the road.

[vaibhav_agg]

great

Sir,
Its a great work which u r thinking.I also want to get complete information about the project .
PLEASE MAIL THE DESCRIPTION.

[tommybiker]

It's been done

Say. They already tried this about 50 years ago. It didn't sell then, and probably won't now. But at least you'd be able to fly over our crumbling bridges. Write your Congressman and tell them to fix those!

[drew49]

Flying car

I am an aircraft mechanic for 20 plus years I have been working on this idea and have seen pictures of older versions. Please contact me for any assistance.