Flying car ready for takeoff?

This summer, graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will try to get an idea aloft that has intrigued people for decades: the flying car.

Terrafugia, a start-up created by Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner Carl Dietrich and colleagues at MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is aiming to show off what it calls the Transition "personal air vehicle," a vehicle resembling an SUV with retractable wings, to the EAA AirVenture Conference in Oshkosh, Wis., at the end of July.

The Transition is designed for 100- to 500-mile jumps. It will carry two people and luggage on a single tank of premium unleaded gas. It will also come with an electric calculator (to help fine-tune weight distribution), airbags, aerodynamic bumpers and of course a GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation unit.

The company hopes to eventually have the vehicle classified so that it can be piloted with a light sport aircraft license.

No complete prototype exists yet, but the company has a one-fifth scale wind tunnel model (along with computer simulations) and will use the $30,000 from the Lemelson prize to build something to show off at the Oshkosh show. A fully operational prototype is expected to come out in 2008 or earlier, according to the company, while Transition vehicles are expected to hit the road, and the sky, by 2009 or 2010.

"We have a lot of confidence that if the interest is there, we can deliver this product," Dietrich said. "There is a huge amount of general interest, but the question is, is there a market for it?"

Building retractable wings won't be the major challenge: F-18s and even some World War II era planes have folding wings. Instead, one of the biggest challenges will be creating enough cargo room to satisfy customers. The planes, which will cruise up to 12,000 feet, will probably use an off-the-shelf engine, he added.

Carl Dietrich

In the past few years, the skies have become a new frontier for entrepreneurs and academics. The chase for the X Prize led entrepreneur Richard Branson and others to begin to contemplate space tourism. PayPal founder Elon Musk, meanwhile, has started SpaceX, a private company that hopes to launch rockets for satellite deployment, similar to the more heavily funded Sea Launch venture. Stanford University professors teach a course on do-it-yourself satellites.

Short-range aircraft and flight start-ups have sprung up as well. Citrix founder Ed Iacobucci has launched DayJet, which plans on buying a fleet of Eclipse planes for on-demand travel between regional hubs. People Airlines founder has a similar company based on the small, lightweight Eclipse. (Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is an investor in Eclipse.)

And for backyard adventurers, Elwood "Woody" Norris has the AirScooter, a personal helicopter. Graduate students at Stanford also have hatched a secretive start-up geared at recreational flyers, according to sources familiar with their plans.

Flying cars are technically feasible; Terrafugia points out that inventor Molt Taylor built prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s--but they haven't been practical from an economic perspective.

[privatec]

If only...

I would have a lot more confidence if they hadn't invented the word <br />"roadable" and plastered it all over...

[FOSS4evR]

I don't think they invented the word

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.google.com/search?lr=&#38;ie=UTF-8&#38;oe=UTF-8&#38;q=roadable" target="_newWindow">http://www.google.com/search?lr=&#38;ie=UTF-8&#38;oe=UTF-8&#38;q=roadable</a>

[pilaa]

Might be doable but is it Feasable/Practical?

I can understand the challenge to build such a vehicle but there are way too many objectives to overcome. An infrastructure to accommodate such a vehicle would take decades to plan and build as well as the many vehicle and driver safety concerns. A crash in the air would make survivability of all involved a highly unlikely proposition. Just a few things to consider...

[techie_042]

Might be doable but is it Feasable/Practical?

A BRS would help with a mid air crash or structural failure.<br /><br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.brsparachutes.com/Default.aspx?tabId=2" target="_newWindow">http://www.brsparachutes.com/Default.aspx?tabId=2</a>

[jsargent]

The least of your problems

Imagine bumping lightly into something while parking at the mall. A plane is aerodynamic. This means that ANY small bump could make this vehicle unairworthy without appearing damaged and who is going to check that? Even if there are checks once per month how can the driver check that all surfaces are ABSOLUTELY straight before flying. Remember that any minor change in the aerodynamics could make the plane dangerous.

[jedmann1989]

"Imagine bumping lightly into something while parking at the mall. A plane is aerodynamic. This means that ANY small bump could make this vehicle unairworthy without appearing damaged and who is going to check that? Even if there are checks once per month how can the driver check that all surfaces are ABSOLUTELY straight before flying. Remember that any minor change in the aerodynamics could make the plane dangerous." <br /> <br />That is just ignorant. As a pilot you are required by FAA regulations to perform a preflight check before every single flight. Another point i should make is that this is not a terribly high performance aircraft (nothing like an F-22). you could chop the end of the wingtip off and it would still be flyable. a small bump won't make it unairworthy without it being caught by a preflight check.

[Earl Benser]

A frightening thought...

The ground drivers around this town are bad enough to scare the <br />socks off you twice a day. No one pays any attention to traffics <br />laws. And the word is that the local police don't enforce traffic laws <br />because any traffic fine money goes to the state not the city. <br />whatever the reason why, the laws aren't enforced.<br /><br />Now you want to let these same idiots get airborne?

[R. U. Sirius]

LOL

&gt;Now you want to let these same idiots <br />&gt;get airborne?<br /><br />Too true. Can you imagine what it will be like while they're flying, mucking with the GPS system, and trying to talk on their cell phones?

[c|net Reader]

It's Worse

&lt;quote&gt;Now you want to let these same idiots get airborne?&lt;/quote&gt;<br /><br />It's worse than you suggest. To have traffic in the air, people have to think three dimensionally. As you say, people have a hard enough time managing safely in two dimensions.<br /><br />The only ways I can imagine for safe air commuting are an automated system or ferrying. We know that automating airline baggage systems can prove troublesome, so imagine the difficulty of automating air commuting.<br /><br />Ferrying, on the other hand, could provide the ability to fly your vehicle, along with others no doubt, between points. Thus, you'd drive to a ferrying point, ride the ferry some distance, and then drive on to your final destination. That, of course, can constrain your schedule and autonomy.

[mumblipegg]

Darwin award!

I don't know why you are all so worried about bad drivers. I think this is the greatest solution to handling idiot drivers. Now, when they do something stupid, they die! Problem solved! Natural selection at it's finest. <br /><br />In all seriousness, pilots will be certified, the flying car will be certified, and you will be just as safe as you are right now. Congestion might begin to be a problem for your great-grandkids, but let's not let paranoia strangle some forward thinking.

[JackfromBerkeley]

Don't fear. You'll still need a pilot license.

Flying is not for the masses, except in airliners. The few people <br />who already fly are the market for flying cars, not wannabies who <br />focus on why they can't.

[jedmann1989]

This invention isn't for the average driver. They say it themselves on there website it is for the sport pilot who want to have an even greater amount of freedom. As a pilot myself i can see it coming in very handy. Now any old Joe Shmoe on the highway can't buy one and start flying it. you have to get a pilot's license through FAA certified training first. and they don't give licenses to irresponsible pilot's.

[DreamsREXpENsive]

There were automatic cars in the 90s that drove by themselves and apparently the technology is improving. If the same concept can be applied to roadable aircraft then perhaps it might be worth the effort, but there's a lot of issues such as electronics systems failure, crash prevention and recovery, fuel source, and many more issues.<br /><br />The idea of ferrying is a good one, people already do the 9am and 5pm shuffle in congested areas so ferrying might be a solution to that. On the other end, maybe there should just be some limits on who can fly these vehicles, aside from the obvious pilot's license - if the sector takes off, then a lot of people will want to fly these things.

[JackfromBerkeley]

Helicycle is for real

They've made over 100 kits of which more than 25 are in the air. <br />It's a hotrod single place turbine engined helicopter. The kit and <br />engine cost $32,500. It's too much fun not to seriously want, at <br />least for me.<br />I have a nice design for a roadable aircraft, which I always wanted <br />because airports are often a long walk from where I was actually <br />going. If I ever finish it, you'll see it at Oshkosh, b'gosh.

[lingsun]

Imagine falling cars landing on your house

Imagine falling cars landing on your house. There's no way the FAA would allow flying cars in the air. It's too dangerous for everyone else.

[jjesusfreak01]

I dont agree...

Oh yes they would. They dont have too much of a choice. If the consumers want it, then it will happen. I doubt the FAA will have jurisdiction anyway. There will probably be a different organization in charge.<br /><br />On another note, look at the kids doctoral paper, its no good. He is writing it on fusion for space propulsion? The Russians have been researching this for almost a decade. Pick something original, will ya?

[xavierm]

Not any less safe than currently flying aircraft

It would have to meet the same specifications as other LSA aircraft with the same people watching. I don't think it would be any less safe than what is currently flying. If it met the FAA regulations, they would allow it.

[MikeDson]

Fender Bender = calamitous death

Absolutely correct. Imagine tens of thousands of small aircraft choking the sky and blocking out the sun -- when EVERY single bump or fender bender is GUARANTEED to result in a flaming violent fatal crash. You'll let the wife and kids do that? Everyone would spend all their time hiding in bomb shelters.<br /><br />Let alone obvious problems of takeoff, landing, and fuel consumption, and all the required infrastructure. Flying cars will NEVER be economically viable unless someone invents magic anti-gravity.<br /><br />The flying car is such an absurd non-starter I'm always amazed people take it seriously outside of The Jetsons. You want ot build a very small airplane for competent pilots to keep at the local airport, fine. But call it a "flying car" and you're in fantasy land and will still be in fantasy land 1,000 years from now.

[203129769353146603573853850462]

Wow....

...the profundity of your comment takes my breath away.

[jedmann1989]

"Imagine falling cars landing on your house. There's no way the FAA would allow flying cars in the air. It's too dangerous for everyone else. " <br /> <br />Ignorance again. The FAA already has certified flying cars. Take a look at the W-5 Arrowbile or the Aerocar. Both were certified airworthy and were flying and driving.

[xavierm]

Practicality - good question

It would be great if this takes off (no pun intended). Of course, many have tried, failed, and are still trying. The GA (General Aviation) market is a hard one to break into to begin with. many companys produce a great product (whether a kit or certified aircraft) to end up bankrupt &#38; the person who then buys the assets makes all the money since they didn't have to deal with the certification costs.<br />The limitations of the sport pilot license negates the usefulness of the car/aircraft in many major cities where your faced with airspace in which a sport pilots license forbids you to enter (without a 'logbook entry'), and flying at night (to name a few restrictions). Those two alone kill the use of the car as a commuter in 'aircraft mode'. If you live outside a major city, you might be okay.<br /> You could weave your way through the airspace, but try explaining to your boss that you have to leave early because you can't fly home after dusk. Night, defined by the FAA is "One hour after evening civil twilight and one hour before morning civil twilight", so it can still be light outside but still illegal to fly.<br /><br /> to add to that, most airports (all the ones I've visited) are protected by some kind of gate/fence to limit access. Utually access is granted via a key card. Can't just go up and drive on the field to take off...<br /><br /> It will be interesting to see what happens.

[JackfromBerkeley]

We need dreamers. Keep it up, folks!

Terrafugio is mostly college kids. I wish them luck. There are <br />so many things they'll need to rethink, but they are thinking <br />towards a solution we may all like. Their web site is better than <br />their actual design, but their next version will likely be better. <br />They fly regular airplanes. That helps them keep their dreaming <br />grounded in reality. Everyone says you can't do stuff until you <br />do. Stephen Pitcairn made a good functional roadable autogyro <br />in 1937 and landed it on the White House lawn, the day Hitler <br />invaded Czechoslovakia. It didn't make the news that day. I saw <br />it in the Washington Air and Space Museum. If I could buy one <br />today, I would. Hey you Terra folks, check it out! It really <br />worked much bettewr than Molt Taylor's Aerocar, which I saw fly. <br />It was a hopeless flyer, barely able to climb out of ground effect. <br />It had front wheel drive and with the wings as a trailer, could not <br />be driven uphill. You find stuff like that out After you build your <br />dream. Lessons abound. Learn them, and make us our Flying <br />Car! Thanks.

[coolcat312]

Hasn't anyone heard of the Moller SkyCar?

Moller has been around for years trying to get civilian aircraft <br />going. He's got the "SkyCar" now, which appears to be ready for <br />production (and has for quite some time now). Vertical takeoff and <br />landing eliminates the need for a runway, it's got three wheels so it <br />can be registered with the DMV as a motorcycle. If I had the money <br />I'd buy one!

[JackfromBerkeley]

Moller is a con man

He's been taking deposits for the Skycar for about 30 years. <br />Micheal Jackson and Jerry Garcia each gave him $300,000. It can <br />never work. Modern GPS tech lets some of Moller's no-input <br />piloting concept be possible, but the laws of propeller physics <br />mean his performance claims are outlandish and impossible. Keep <br />trying, folks, and don't waste your money on this loser.

[barsoom]

Folding Wings... I certainly hope not!

Any F-18 pilot would be very concerned if their plane's wings folded as they are not supposed to do that. The pilot would be ejecting right quickly is my guess. <br /><br />The author might have meant F-14 or F-111 which both have "variable geometery" wings as the biz call so-called "folding" wings.

[JackfromBerkeley]

Actually many planes can fold their wings.

Experimental planes like the Thorp T-18 and some of the Kitfox <br />models have folding wings. People love to try to save money on <br />hangars by trailering their aircraft. Only trouble is, you have to <br />assemble it right every time, which gets old. Most folding wing <br />planes I ever saw were kept in hangars fully assembled all the time <br />anyway. Folding wings is the right approach for a roadable, I would <br />think.

Re: Folding Wings

There are Variable Geometry wings, and then there are folding wings.<br /><br />Folding wings have been in use since WW2 in order to concerve space on aircraft carriers. F18 wings DO fold as this photo demonstrates: <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/AIR_F-18C_Folded_Wings_lg.jpg" target="_newWindow">http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/AIR_F-18C_Folded_Wings_lg.jpg</a>

[xavierm]

Folding wings

The F-18's wings do fold to save deck space.

[jedmann1989]

Another ******* stupid comment <br /> <br />"Any F-18 pilot would be very concerned if their plane's wings folded as they are not supposed to do that. The pilot would be ejecting right quickly is my guess." <br /> <br />Do some research before you make your comments. The F-18 and many military aircraft before that have folding wings to save space on aircraft carriers.

Flying Car? Try Plane...

They can call it what ever they want, it's still a plane. 1,500 feet of take off space. Where in your neighborhood are you going to find that? Oh wait, this is not for the middle class. Well I guess you'll have to own a small air field with one of these. <br /><br />Show me something that looks more like a car, takes off and lands vertically, carry a better pay load than this sport plane, then I can call it a flying car. Until then, it's a PLANE.

[jedmann1989]

It's not supposed to take off out of your driveway. You drive it to an airport then you take off dumba$$. And they don't call it a flying car. They call it a roadable aircraft. BIG DIFFERENCE

[Geeklan]

What happened to the Moller Air Car?

It is great that these people are getting press but what ever happened to the Moller Air Car?<br /><br />I think that most of us were banking on that to be the standard for personal flying vehicles.<br /><br />I believe that if flying cars are to become a true standard for transportation its roots will have to originate from outside the US.<br /><br />I don't believe the FAA will support personal flying vehicles this without major pressure from consumers.<br /><br />That?s just the way I see it.

[tech_junky]

Like the other post above, hes a conman

He had TONS of money invested in his project - more than enough to get it working, even if just a prototype

[jsargent]

Outside the US?

Speaking as person outside the US I can't imagine a better place to develop such a vehicle except for the US. The idea of a flying car for general consumers would ONLY be feasable in the US where both the economy AND the space allows this. In Europe they don't have the space and elsewhere they don't have the economy to support the market.

[washy2]

Still under development

see &lt;<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.moller.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.moller.com/</a>&gt; You can also register for regular updates

[RichStrong]

Aircars made outside USA

You are cordially invited to view my flying car project at www.strongware.com/dragon . It may be made outside the USA with fewer legal and financial restrictions and cheap labor.

[dex Otaku]

Concerns about "average" pilots

I'm assuming the navigation system, controls, &#38;c. will all be simplified somehow, but I have a few concerns about more people taking to the skies.<br /><br />Having some idea of what it takes to learn to fly, and how easy it can be in some areas to get a sport aircraft license.. well, I sincerely hope *that* process doesn't get simplified. There are plenty of people on the roads who can barely drive within the limits of traffic laws, for instance - I hope to doG they're kept out of the air.<br /><br />Also, sport aircraft tend to be purely mechanical. Cars these days tend to be more electronic/microcontrolled and power-assisted; will they build the redundancy systems into these that fly-by-wire aircraft have, or will there be a return to purely mechanical driving, or a hybrid of power-assisted [steering and brakes] for example while driving with mechanical control of flight surfaces? Safety in the air is vastly different from safety on the ground, and what happens if, say, the dashboard computer suddenly gacks [as happens with modern vehicles] because of humidity, cold/hot extremes, &#38;c.? I have actually seen recently-built vehicles' "crash", i.e. the entire dashboard suddenly dies because the computer quit, meaning there is no speedometer, odometer, tachometer, or even for that matter turn signal indicators or working radio. <br /><br />Lastly, can anyone say "consumer cruise missile"?

[JackfromBerkeley]

Nobody wants to fly any more but me

I'm alone most days I go out to my formerly busy local airport. 2 <br />sets of double runways once each had their own radio frequency, <br />and you'd be like Number 12 Downwind for Landing, every time. <br />Now, 30 years later, the skies are empty. I never have to wait for <br />the fuel truck and that's nice, but I wonder why none of you seem <br />to want to aviate, like I always did.

[Earl Benser]

Check the price of fuel and insurance lately?.....

nt

[203129769353146603573853850462]

Chin up...

...the General Aviation* biz is retooling (late) with fiberglas, diesel, and LSA planes.<br /><br />'Bout time. High cost is (obviously) killing GA.<br /><br />You'll see more people in the air as these things come on-line.<br /><br />Final word: "Experimental". You dig?<br /><br />========<br />*personal or commercial, non-military flying

[KsprayDad]

A million little pieces....

Just like the book...this idea is full of intent but will remain in the fiction category.<br /><br />Signed<br />Elroy and his hot sister Judy

[kmccrack]

Can society handle the Z-axis?

Flying cars are a great concept. But the cars will have to be highly regulated with technology to prevent hishaps. Today's car drivers have enough trouble trying to navigate and avoid collisions along just the and X and Y axes. Add in the Z axis and we're looking for a world of chaos!<br /><br />And could you imagine one of these things being stolen? The cops might be chasing the driver down I-95 and then... take-off time! Now the guy's up in the air flying over the trees! It would give "took off in a stolen car" literal meaning.

[kmccrack]

mishaps, not hishaps

Sorry for the typo.

[JackfromBerkeley]

Flying is way beyond the average human being.

At least Moller's Skycar was supposed to fly itself to where you'd <br />tell it you want to go. Modern planes can pretty much do that <br />today too; you have to know how to program your autopilot. But <br />hey, the smallest thing goes wrong, and all of a sudden you get <br />to see if you have The Right Stuff.<br />Mostly there are too many variables to keep aware of. If a gauge <br />reads anomolously and you fail to notice, you could be dead and <br />take lots of people with you. Pilot licenses are hard to get for <br />very good reason.<br />Those of you who are born to fly, will persist and prevail. The <br />sky is ours. They can fight over the ground but the sky belongs <br />to us.

[montgomeryburns]

Message has been deleted.

[203129769353146603573853850462]

Way beyond the average person, yep

You're beeing tto kind, Driving is way beyond the average person.<br /><br />And I'm a pilot. I can't see the technology replacing the critical take-off and landing phases for this flying car. Sure, it works now on Boeings and Airbuses, but look at the infrastructure required! It's already straining, too, just with the load of *pro* pilots.

[springbokmarine]

AHS

I think humans are incompetent to drive. The d. license should be 21 years, which will force people to use public transportation. Ultimately we need a Automated Highway System and Automated ATC System so that we fly/drive with beacons/gps and embedded sensors. CM/Berkeley and Cal Trans had a working prototype before 9/11 happened and everyone's attention was turned elsewhere. If we used the Billions spent in Iraq on designing a better transportation system, america would be more secure and efficient...

[Mendz]

Ugly

Ewww...

[203129769353146603573853850462]

F-18 wings don't fold...

...wonder what else they got wrong in the story?<br /><br />As with most aviation reporting, it's sloppy and uninformed.

[Seawolf1]

Yes they do

See <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tailhook.org/Gallery.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.tailhook.org/Gallery.html</a> - the top left picture, F18 at sunset on deck.

[jedmann1989]

Dumba$$

[203129769353146603573853850462]

Know-nothing Gen-Yers chiming in...

...who nothing about aviation. Wonderful.