Why not fly ?

[dtanner]

I had a look at this car/airplane and thought you guys might like this . Looks like a blast to have and use. here is the video
http://www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?bcpid=90015277001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAACVfYk8~,joSdWnzSW53SWMSXWb0FjhSSjUZumgFr&bctid=635469588001

 

[proessler]

Don T cool video, wife & I just returned from Oshkosh last nite for Christmas giftin'. We drove past EAA Air Venture grounds , only a 3 hour round trip.

 

[T-Mo]

Speaking of flying:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=zKnsyYbfC60&feature=popular

 

[proessler]

Cool video ,Terry ! How many man hours to manufacture that plane ?

 

[dfrisk]

An old co-worker bought stock in the company's IPO that was going to build THIS:

"Skycar M400: Moller’s latest design
The dream flying machine is one of its kind personal vertical take off and landing (VTOL) vehicle that can cruise at a maximum speed of 375 MPH at 13,200 ft.

The asking price of a Skycar is estimated to be about $1 million, but we can hope it to get as low as $60,000 when it will be mass produced."


I was going to buy one for my 60 mi one-way commute to work. Instead of an hour on I-94 it would have taken about 15-18 minutes to get to work.

 

[mgonitzke]

You would still need a pilot's license and would have to fly it from an airport.

As both a pilot and an aerospace engineer, I've never understood the 'flying car' hype. Making a car that flies results in both a mediocre car and a mediocre aircraft. There are too many compromises when the two are combined.

 

[dfrisk]

MATT - It was either going to be the Moller or a used HARRIER to get the VTOL capability. A helicopter or V-22 Osprey were kinda out of my budget.

I remember years ago there was a series of shows about someone building a small helicopter, one or two passenger, think it used a ROTAX engine, gilmer belt drive for the main rotor, pretty low performance too.

But I have to agree completely with you about all the compromises involved in making a vehicle that can both fly and drive on public roads. And I'm sure you would agree that there's plenty of examples of mediocre cars that don't fly as well as aircraft that couldn't possibly travel public roads.

Now if I could have just convinced ALL the law enforcement officials between home & work to look the other way I could have made that 60 mile drive in probably a half hour in something like a new 'Vette.

 

[dtanner]

Matt Gonitzke
The laws might be different here on you airport statement. I say that because I`am a mile away from a lake here and know a gent that had his own plane. he had a ramp built from the lake and up onto the shore. He would land on the lake and park he plane in his yard. Did that for years ! There is also a private strip here where there are four planes sitting and they just use this private strip.Eight miles away there is a gent that has a glass front two seat small helicopter that he fly's and lands all over this province. I see him land next to the local restaurant sometimes for lunch.The nearest air port would be 40 Miles as a crow flies ( Halifax international)where about 60 or more planes were stranded during 911, there is a few small private strips here in this county. So I think you can own a plane and fly it with out using a big airport to land and take off here.There was a show on pawn shop (tv) that the guy bought one of these small glass front helicopters and I can`t remember what it was called but thought it would be cool to have and land in my backyard. My .02

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, Don, I know of a guy that keeps a float plane at his house on the lake he lives on. He co-owns the plane with a friend of mine. I know of another guy that has a landing strip on his farm and keeps a plane there.

 

[mgonitzke]

Don-

I didn't say 'big' airport...I just said airport. Pilots with properly-equipped aircraft can operate out of bodies of water here, too, as long as they follow the regulations governing it.

In very rural areas I'm sure you could fly a helicopter from your backyard. However, the insurance companies probably don't care for this. These 'flying cars' all require an airport and a pilot's license, and that is what my point is. In the past when they've advertised these things they make it sound like people will be able to take off on the road and fly over a traffic jam, which is definitely not the case. Can you image what a mess it would be if everybody just started taking off from roads all over the place? Lots of people would be killed. There is no way this sort of thing would ever be practical from a safety or regulatory standpoint.

Edit:

Kraig's friend's airstrip likely appears on aeronautical charts and is registered with the FAA as a private airfield. There are a number of them in my area, and each and every one I have seen appears on our aeronautical charts.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, (I bet Art knows where this is) here's a screen capture from Google Earth of the airstrip at the farmers field. BTW, their last name is Beer. Hmmm, I wonder how many people try to land there for a quick refreshment...

 

[T-Mo]

Did you say Harrier?

Or did I see V-22?

 

[dfrisk]

TERRY - Have you done a search on that Moller M-400? Was maybe four yrs ago they did their IPO and the M-400 was going up for FAA certification.

MATT - I remember 20+ yrs ago getting into a female co-worker's RX-7 Mazda to go into town for lunch. She was talking a Million miles per hour, weaving all over the road, doing 55 in a 35, etc. I was SCARED to DEATH. Then she apologized and said, "I pay more attention to what I'm doing when I fly my plane!" OMG, I sure hope so!

A Pilot's license for flying airplanes is a GOOD THING!

The father of my best friend thru middle school & HS owned half of a Cessna, 4-passenger, high wing, a 172?. Other half was owned by his neighbor. They used a grass strip between their ajoining farms for the runway. VFR ONLY. Not sure that's even allowed anymore, that was over 30 yrs ago.

 

[wshytle]

I had three of those Ospreys fly right over my house two different times in a two week period recently. You can hear them coming I bet ten miles away. They have a very distinct chopping sound and are very noisy at about twice tree top level.

I don't think we'll see anything like flying cars for a while yet....too many variables with population and such and we just aren't there with the technology. By the time they get perfected the earths oil will be depleted anyway. Heck, the hybid cars aren't even where they should be by now with battery technology. I have heard battery replacement can cost $6-$8000 and will be needed every several years. They might use less fuel but are by no means ecnomical.

 

[dfrisk]

WAYNE - I agree, the hybred elec & battery cars are decades away from being anything more than central city commuter cars. If you check BOTH city & highway MPG a decent little turbo-diesel car like a VW Jetta TDI totally blows away a Prius Highway MPG, 42 MPG for the VW, 36 for the Prius.

And I've NEVER heard anyone mention battery life or replacement costs.

Far as oil supply, my College major advisor was actually VERY brilliant in a REAL WORLD way, pretty unique for a college prof! Going to school in the mid/late 1970's the first oil embargos were the topic of many lectures that should have been about something else! One thing he said that makes complete sense, "Best way to conserve a valuable finite supply of a vital resource is to USE IT ALL UP, so the next most cost effective alternative becomes more economically viable." We waste oil and other forms of energy in so MANY wanton ways we may as well just use them up so we have to conserve them or create alternatives.

 

[proessler]

Right on Denny, a friend bought VW Diesel, an '07 I think, with 5 speed stick & gets 50 MPG. Daughter bought new gas one. He bought 2nd Diesel this past year, with auto & get's 40 something MPG. Like I've stated before , I'd like a Navistar Twin Turbo 4.5 V-6 /6 speed in my F 150.

 

[dfrisk]

PAUL - If you can convince a Ford dealer to sell you a truck like that tell them I'll order one too!

I think the gas companies finally are getting the price difference between gasoline & diesel fuel about where it really should be, the price is pretty close in relationship to the amount of heat energy the fuels contain. I wish I could still buy #2 diesel for the $1.10/gal I did back in the summer of '96 when my truck was new. Most fill-ups of BOTH tanks were around $40. Now I can fit $80 in ONE tank!

If I ever have to get a new commuter car it will be a diesel. The new VW Jetta mini-SUV looks really nice and still gets 42 MPG.