DailyDirt: Flying Cars Are Here!

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Tue, Nov 11th 2014 5:00pm — Michael Ho

The future has pretty much arrived already. We've been waiting for flying cars and super-smart computers, but if we're willing to accept some flaws, these things exist today. (And if you believe the press releases of Lockheed Martin, we'll only need to wait a few more years for practical fusion!) Here are just a few more flying cars (or roadable aircraft) that could be roaming around neighborhood streets.

The AeroMobil 3.0 is the latest working prototype for a flying car that's been under development for nearly 25 years. It doesn't have a price tag yet, but it can be re-fueled at a standard car gas station (when its wings are folded) -- and a previous version has already been certified for flight by Slovakia's Aviation Authority. [url]
The Maverick can be purchased for $94,000, but it might not be ready for just anyone to fly it. This flying vehicle uses an airfoil-parachute and is aimed at humanitarian missions in areas without airstrips. While a couple of these flying cars have reportedly crashed, there haven't been any major injuries. [url]
The MyCopter project is seriously looking at the field of personal air transport systems (PATS) to make personal aviation vehicles (PAVs) idiot-proof. It's probably not possible to make anything idiot-proof, but this project could outline what makes an aircraft more usable by the general public (instead of requiring a pilot's license to fly). [url]
Terrafugia has been working on a flying car and is developing an autonomous version. The prototypes aren't commercially available yet, but they're not too far away. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

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Filed Under: autonomous aircraft, flying cars, mycopter, pavs, personal aviation vehicles, roadable aircraft, the maverick
Companies: aeromobil, terrafugia

15 Comments

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Mason Wheeler (profile), 11 Nov 2014 @ 5:11pm

I, for one, don't want flying cars, at least not until Eric Schmidt's famous bug gets fixed! Every day I'm surrounded by idiot drivers who are just barely, somehow miraculously capable of getting around in two dimensions without bringing property damage and severe injury to those around them. No way, no how do I want to put a third dimension in their hands!
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- Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2014 @ 2:34am
  
  Re:
  Also required is a protocol for dealing with traffic jams in the sky. These things cannot just hang-about in mid air, and idiot drivers will not want to divert to an alternative landing site.
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That One Guy (profile), 11 Nov 2014 @ 5:30pm

Yeah, there's already more than enough people who shouldn't have a regular license causing crashes left and right, the last thing they need is another dimension to cause havoc in.

A car crash on the road is bad enough, now imagine a 'car' crash mid-air, over a crowd, home, or building. The hardware side might be getting closer to being viable, but there are a lot of more important aspects that need to be dealt with before 'flying cars' are rolled out for the general market.
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2014 @ 8:02pm
  
  Re:
  One company whose been working with the regulatory powers to iron out these details is Moller International. They're the closest thing I've seen to a viable solution.
  
  http://www.moller.com
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Nov 2014 @ 5:57pm

Make mine a "classic" flying car, like this one from the 1940s:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/18/article-2343762-1A609436000005DC-718_634x400.jpg
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Stan (profile), 11 Nov 2014 @ 11:55pm

making PAVs idiot-proof
"The MyCopter project is (trying)...to make personal aviation vehicles (PAVs) idiot-proof."

Does that mean they will be using congressmen for test pilots?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2014 @ 2:06am

Why doesn't Techdirt promote any Kickstarter campaigns for flying cars?

Like this one?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1999331578/the-overdrive-ultimate-in-personal-transportatio n
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- Michael Ho (profile), 12 Nov 2014 @ 10:08am
  
  Re:
  We did....
  
  https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140814/17233828217/awesome-stuff-flying-cars-hover-bikes- ultrasonic-levitation.shtml
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- Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2014 @ 10:30am
  
  Re:
  Because likely Techdirt has ethical problems with a site that accepts investments with no legal responsibility to divide returns.
  
  It is by definition a scam and a very disgusting site in general.
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  - Mason Wheeler (profile), 12 Nov 2014 @ 11:01am
    
    Re: Re:
    It's not an investing site. They make that perfectly clear right up front. Kickstarter is not an investing site, and project owners are prohibited by Kicksterter terms from offering shares, bonds, or any similar securities as backer rewards.
    
    Kickstarter backers are not investors; a more appropriate description would be the rather old-fashioned term "patron of the arts."
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    - Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2014 @ 7:31am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Which is why it is shady as fuck. No one should take advantage of dimwits like that. It is crude.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Nov 2014 @ 4:49am

Bird Strikes
nt
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- Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2014 @ 9:33am
  
  Re: Bird Strikes
  Visibility: Fog, heavy snow or rain...
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Marcel, 14 Nov 2014 @ 4:38am

Check this dutch invention: (Pal-V).
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West Siders, 10 Jul 2015 @ 9:49pm

It's still controversial
Yes, there are more than enough people who do not have a regular license causing accidents left and right, the last thing they need is another dimension to cause damage.

A car accident on the road is bad enough, now imagine an accident 'drive' the air, above the crowd, the house or building. In terms of hardware you may be getting close to being decent, but there are many more important issues to be addressed before "flying car", which was released to the market in general.
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