Flying Cars And Roadable Aircraft

[Rhinocrates]

An overview of current projects - not much technical depth but nice things to look at. A good many are now at the point where their makers are confident enough to put price tags on them. Some even fly.

It's YouTube, so do not read the comments do not read the comments do not read the comments do not read the comments...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIYp62vDtf4

 

[Rhinocrates]

An overview of current projects - not much technical depth but nice things to look at. A good many are now at the point where their makers are confident enough to put price tags on them. Some even fly.

It's YouTube, so do not read the comments do not read the comments do not read the comments do not read the comments...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIYp62vDtf4

Have to say... the there's a wide range there. The Terrafugia 'works' but is virtually useless - a terrible car and a terrible plane; the Bellwether screams 'scam' or it's fueled with Kool-Aid (their site calls a subscale drone model a 'prototype'); the PAL-V is an autogyro with a heavy undercarriage that you can drive and may actually be useful.

 

[klem]

These flying vehicle stories will never stop.

 

[Scapaflow]

Here are others. (https://forum.guns.ru/forum_na/forum_picture/5223288.html)

 

[william.walker39]

Cutaway Sky Technology "Aircar" the ing retired from Bell Helicopters Kenneth Wernicke working for many years in his own version of Auto Volador, study limitations that made it impractical, decided to design a flying car would not have to undergo the "Surgery" before each flight and after this, as in many other designs of flying cars from Gustave Whitehead (I built the first flying car in history) to Terrafugia, not to mention the dozens of projects that were more or less a success in flying but not so successful in sales, auto flying ones who got the media attention were: Paul Taylor and the Aerocar Airphibian but both had to undergo a conversion according to its makers was very simple "removing a screw here and a pin there, "but it should have a place to store the wings and tail when you were not at home, the project engineer. Kenneth Wernicke instead only had to attach the propeller and find the nearest track to fly, its design was quite simple, but his greatest contribution was those very short span wings with large vertical fins (These help reduce aerodynamic drag and generating the necessary stability) this trait made the Aircar a relatively compact vehicle that could patrol the streets and avenues, its engine a Mazda Wankel modified to fly and this in see moving a hydraulic pump that conveyed by high pressure oil traction to the wheels perfectly faired after huge "Pants" which in turn favored stability and reduced drag only would have two speeds forward and backward, and its top speed of only 110 km / h but the air could fly over 300 km / h, with that engine, its designer argued that more advanced models would use turboprop engines higher power that would allow it to fly at almost 500 km / h, after extensive testing of wind tunnel and compare different models, I build one controlled radio that flew very well in the words of Mr. Wernicke, I manufacture a Mockup of the same demonstration but did not get the interest of investors leaving only a technological promise for the contributions and advances made by Wernicke, author Motocar in a free and highly speculative interpretation of Aircar.

We are developing a similar concept, but with a lot more capability. The vehicle is called the Sky Chaser and looks like an Can-AM race car, has 4 car wheels, flies both vertically and horizontally, and is amphibian. It has no exposed rotors, and no unfolding wings or rotors, and simply flies the way it looks, similar to the flying car in the movie Blade Runner. For more info see the following links:

*Website: http://SkyChaser(dot)se

*Project Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FAdls15OriuQ4hoD2xPwXeNQDQTKpK1t/view?usp=drive_link

*evtol News article 1: https://evtol.news/sky-chaser-concept-design

*evtol news article 2: https://evtol.news/sky-chaser

*Simulation tests: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19taPDO1yERAumR8OV1IFk2n1TqNLNUkN/view?usp=drive_link

*Full Scale hover test: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qDl5X142uC5yt_5Xcb0GUS3h-LgD4P0V/view?usp=drive_link

 

[william.walker39]

We are developing a similar concept, but with a lot more capability. The vehicle is called the Sky Chaser and looks like an Can-AM race car, has 4 car wheels, flies both vertically and horizontally, and is amphibian. It has no exposed rotors, and no unfolding wings or rotors, and simply flies the way it looks, similar to the flying car in the movie Blade Runner. For more info see the following links:

*Website: http://SkyChaser(dot)se

*Project Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FAdls15OriuQ4hoD2xPwXeNQDQTKpK1t/view?usp=drive_link

*evtol News article 1: https://evtol.news/sky-chaser-concept-design

*evtol news article 2: https://evtol.news/sky-chaser

*Simulation tests: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19taPDO1yERAumR8OV1IFk2n1TqNLNUkN/view?usp=drive_link

*Full Scale hover test: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qDl5X142uC5yt_5Xcb0GUS3h-LgD4P0V/view?usp=drive_link

 

[exclaimedleech8]

I'd settle for just being able to "fly" a few inches above the ground. We'd no longer need expensive paved highways and we'd scoff at roads being covered with snow or water.

 

[exclaimedleech8]

The biggest issue I see with "flying cars" is parking. Compare the size of a helipad with that of a parking space.

 

[Dilandu]

I'd settle for just being able to "fly" a few inches above the ground. We'd no longer need expensive paved highways and we'd scoff at roads being covered with snow or water.

Erm... what do you think would happens when hovercar start to fly over non-paved roads?

Yeah, they would destroy them by blowing the road surface away very quickly. A non-paved road would be turned into trench by hovercars in a very short time.

Not to mention that slope-climbing ability of hovercars would be very dubious. "Just a few inches over surface" means "not being able to traverse any meaningful slope".

 

[exclaimedleech8]

Erm... what do you think would happens when hovercar start to fly over non-paved roads?

Yeah, they would destroy them by blowing the road surface away very quickly. A non-paved road would be turned into trench by hovercars in a very short time.

Not to mention that slope-climbing ability of hovercars would be very dubious. "Just a few inches over surface" means "not being able to traverse any meaningful slope".

The hovercraft designers in the 60s had an idea on how to reduce the amount of dust created; labyrinth seals that minimized the loss of air from under the vehicle.

 

[Dilandu]

Essentially the problem with hover cars:

* They are basically flying turbines, pumping a mighty stream of compressed air downward. If the surface they move on is not hard or liquid, they would just blow it away. Destroying the road, or making a nasty trench in the countryside.

* Everyone around the hovercars would be forced to dealt with HUGE clouds of dust and flying debris, propelled at high speed by comprsssed air. Littering on streets would be major criminal offense.

* There are no practical way to quickly stop the hover car. Since there is little traction, the best driver can do if he need to hit the brakes is to switch off the fans and hope for the best. So the risks associated with driving would be multiplied.

* The reverse of the problem above - is hover car is hit by other car or crashed into something, it would turn into rather unsafe bounce car.

 

[exclaimedleech8]

* They are basically flying turbines, pumping a mighty stream of compressed air downward. If the surface they move on is not hard or liquid, they would just blow it away. Destroying the road, or making a nasty trench in the countryside.

That's not true. Hovercraft can operate with very low pressure.

* There are no practical way to quickly stop the hover car. Since there is little traction, the best driver can do if he need to hit the brakes is to switch off the fans and hope for the best. So the risks associated with driving would be multiplied.

You can just reverse the fans

 

[Dilandu]

That's not true. Hovercraft can operate with very low pressure.

They could, but could they do it over uneven, non-paved surface?

You can just reverse the fans

It still wouldn't be nearly as fast as wheel-based braking.

 

[exclaimedleech8]

They could, but could they do it over uneven, non-paved surface?

If you believe the army, they can

 

[GTX]

 

[alberchico]

Not quite a flying car but an interesting combo nonetheless. Kind of shocked this project is being seriously pursued.

280K USD Xpeng’s flying car performs public flight and gets over 2,000 orders

The Xpeng modular flying car called Land Aircraft Carrier received over 2,000 orders after performing its first public flight.

carnewschina.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1856921571245367661

View: https://x.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1856921571245367661

 

[alberchico]

Yet another flying car project from China :

GAC's GOVE flying car completed flight demo, company said

By 2027, GAC targets to launch a flying car pilot operation.

carnewschina.com

https://autonews.gasgoo.com/m/70034430.html

 

[shedofdread]

"In November 2024 Personal Air Landing Vehicle (PAL-V, Raamdonksveer, Netherlands) and Royal NLR – Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR, Amsterdam) successfully completed the development of the rotor blades for the PAL-V Liberty, marking the beginning of flying car’s industrialization phase, and another step closer to serial production."

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/pal-v-nlr-complete-composite-rotors-for-liberty-flying-car?utm_source=Omeda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CW+Today+12%2F4%2F2024

Pretty rendering of the 3-wheeled gyrocopter / car -


Another one for the 'deeply flawed as a concept' folder...?

 

[hesham]

From Aviation magazine 15-7-1985,

Mr. Ebner Air Car.

 

[Sabrejet]

"In November 2024 Personal Air Landing Vehicle (PAL-V, Raamdonksveer, Netherlands) and Royal NLR – Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR, Amsterdam) successfully completed the development of the rotor blades for the PAL-V Liberty, marking the beginning of flying car’s industrialization phase, and another step closer to serial production."

https://www.compositesworld.com/news/pal-v-nlr-complete-composite-rotors-for-liberty-flying-car?utm_source=Omeda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CW+Today+12%2F4%2F2024

Pretty rendering of the 3-wheeled gyrocopter / car -
View attachment 751793

Another one for the 'deeply flawed as a concept' folder...?

Not a rendering: I've seen this in the flesh.

 

[publiusr]

Bail-out

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-investors-swoop-german-flying-taxi.html

 

[Foo Fighter]

Fools and their money etc, which Emperors new clothes is this one then?

 

[VictorXL188]

Web Sky Commuter

Flying Car Prototype From 1990 Going Up For Auction

Want to own your very own flying car? Will you settle for a prototype that never left the ground? Well then you're in luck! Because the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona has a 1990 prototype with your name on it.

paleofuture.gizmodo.com

Further to Motocar's post of a couple of years ago, it seems there is another example, or perhaps the same one going up for auction https://www.invaluable.com/auction-...wordalerts&utm_content=323606&utm_term=011925

 

[Motocar]

And if I make a Cutaway with the interpretation of the Moller 400 but with electric propulsion...? Motocar

 

[Rhinocrates]

Not a rendering: I've seen this in the flesh.

Flies too.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWLhgSJaOnk

 

[Stargazer]

AFWERX, the Department of the Air Force’s innovation arm, took a look at the unusual BlackFly, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft from Pivotal, at Springfield-Beckley Airport, Ohio, in July. AFWERX’s Agility Prime program is assessing the aircraft and its supporting ecosystem through an operational leasing arrangement, looking for ways the aircraft could benefit warfighters.

Source: Air & Space Forces, Sept.-Oct. 2024


Photo: Matthew Clouse/USAF

 

[Michel Van]

found another starup Company on Youtube
looks more like oversized drone

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy4AFQzrcm8

 

[VTOLicious]

Source: Air & Space Forces, Sept.-Oct. 2024

View attachment 757657
Photo: Matthew Clouse/USAF

Intersting vehicle. Seems to be user friendly, safe and fun to fly!

In accordance with the specs given, the max. flight time should be around 19 minutes. Assuming point to point travel at cruise speed, without hovering, just quick vertical takeoff and landing.

- Cruise Speed: 63 mph / 101 km/h
- Range: 20 miles / 32 km (incl. 20% reserve)

More info: https://pivotal.aero/

 

[VTOLicious]

...fun starts at $190.000 btw (Part 103 Ultra Light):

 

[Rhinocrates]

found another starup Company on Youtube
looks more like oversized drone

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy4AFQzrcm8

A bit more from the Beeb.

Watch: A real-life flying car takes to the skies

From science-fiction to the real world, flying cars are here - but could the concept actually take off?

www.bbc.com

Here's why it's so oddly symmetrical - at higher speeds it's supposed flip on its side while the cockpit rotates.

Alef Flying Car

Alef flying car. The first real flying car.

alef.aero

There are enough red flags to rival a Chinese military parade. 'We had to stay half a football field away', 'We didn't get so see a pilot get into or out of it', and 'you can't see inside because intellectual property blah blah', for starters.

Beware of startups 'demonstrating' their products. Faraday Future claimed to show off the self-driving capabilities of their car, except that it didn't work and it was driven on to a darkened stage by a driver behind heavily tinted glass. They eventually delivered 17 (!) vehicles with restricted capabilities and are now planning to badge engineer Chinese SUVs. Nikola - now bankrupt and undergoing liquidation - infamously filmed its electric truck rolling down a slope with no power whatsoever. The supposed reveal of Musk's Optimus robot was literally a man in a suit and later appearances at the 'We, Robot' event of apparently real hardware was heavily stage-managed with remote control substituting for 'interaction.'

Take it with a grain of salt? How about dehydrating the Red Sea? Anyway, it's passé - everyone's doing crypto these days.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

A bit more from the Beeb.

Watch: A real-life flying car takes to the skies

From science-fiction to the real world, flying cars are here - but could the concept actually take off?

www.bbc.com

Here's why it's so oddly symmetrical - at higher speeds it's supposed flip on its side while the cockpit rotates.

View attachment 760644

Alef Flying Car

Alef flying car. The first real flying car.

alef.aero

There are enough red flags to rival a Chinese military parade. 'We had to stay half a football field away', 'We didn't get so see a pilot get into or out of it', and 'you can't see inside because intellectual property blah blah', for starters.

Beware of startups 'demonstrating' their products. Faraday Future claimed to show off the self-driving capabilities of their car, except that it didn't work and it was driven on to a darkened stage by a driver behind heavily tinted glass. They eventually delivered 17 (!) vehicles with restricted capabilities and are now planning to badge engineer Chinese SUVs. Nikola - now bankrupt and undergoing liquidation - infamously filmed its electric truck rolling down a slope with no power whatsoever. The supposed reveal of Musk's Optimus robot was literally a man in a suit and later appearances at the 'We, Robot' event of apparently real hardware was heavily stage-managed with remote control substituting for 'interaction.'

Take it with a grain of salt? How about dehydrating the Red Sea? Anyway, it's passé - everyone's doing crypto these days.

Yea, the dark tinted passenger compartment windows are a huge red flag. They're illegal in all 50 US states for example. That the company isn't showing you the inside, where you'd sit, should raise major suspicions. Also, it doesn't look like it would meet most nation's safety standards, etc., for a car.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Does this count?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQLYHt-DM0Q

I'll see your trebuchet and raise you an aircraft carrier catapult.

 

[Rhinocrates]

Ooh, another one!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTnnXhcmSgY&t=39s&ab_channel=TheRCGeek

 

[Halcyon66]

Jim Dukhovny, the CEO of Alef Aeronautics, told the BBC's senior technology reporter Chris Vallance, that he had thousands of pre-orders and hoped to start production within 12 months.

For around $300,000 (£237,000) the company says buyers will get an electric flying car with a predicted airborne range of 110km (68 miles). But taking a friend for a spin may prove tricky - the cockpit only has enough room for one and a half people.

Thousands of orders, of course they do why wouldn't they..................

Regards,