History of the Flying Car From 1841 to Now

[Arnie Madsen]

I think it does if:
a) you covered at least the distance the Wright brothers did on their first flight.
b) you walked away from the landing....;-)

.... And he had witnesses too ...

 

[Steve_UK]

I've seen a Horse Fly..........but I ain't seen no elephant fly......Dumbo c1941

 

[farmer jim]

Someday we may wet, Steve, and you could actually see an elllyppphant fly ?!

fj

:whoo:

 

[farmer jim]

holy jamoly, this disslexia stuff is contagion ?!

fj

 

[All_In]

I think it does if:
a) you covered at least the distance the Wright brothers did on their first flight.
b) you walked away from the landing....;-)

OK we did not fly that far. Bummer.

Well now that you explained the rules next time I'll get the heavy weight witnesses/victims out of the car to just watch and PUNCH IT. Next year at B-Days and we will see?

My victims friends will probably enjoy it more watching from the ground anyway! You should have seen our faces when we landed?

PS:
And next time I'll get FULL insurance and a new replacement car, right after the landing? I'll have 3 ways to pay for it this time.

 

[StanFoster]

John- That was the wildest car ride I had ever been in.

I can not believe the air bags didn't deploy!

 

[okikuma]

The Fulton Airphibian would be my choice if I desired a roadable airplane/flying car.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5HK-7hPTE

I personally had seen the flying AVE Mizar Ford Pinto up close at Van Nuys Airport and flying over my house when I was a young teen, and remember the day it crashed in the Sepulveda Basin.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzv4q5EEy1k

Dezso Molner and Joe Carvella are members of EAA Chapter 40 at Whiteman Airport, and each are developing their own flying roadable vehicles.

http://www.dezsomolnar.com/

http://www.caravella.aero/

Mounting a Rogallo Wing onto a dirt bike makes the most sense to me.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLygZUrLv9M

I'm surprised that no one yet has created a roadable flying trike.

The Bi-wing Flying Flea format could be used for a roadable aircraft.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQJ6wjBPTzw

Wayne

 

[kolibri282]

When I watched Wayne's film about the Airphibian ( thanks for posting, Wayne!) this one was showing in the side panel. It definitely belongs here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNp_iO-2Jfg

 

[Martin W.]

Terrafugia shuts down USA operation

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/february/16/terrafugia-pulls-us-plug-on-transition-flying-car

 

[DavePA11]

Wonder if deposits are returned?

 

[StanFoster]

I knew the designer of the Terrafugia car....Sam Schweighart. He lived in my hometown of Paxton, Il and graduated from my same high school.

I built a curved stairway for his brother Tom.

Sam was a very brilliant and honest person, but when you get big money involved, it takes on a life of its own as others get in control.

 

[Doug Riley]

Igor Bensen claimed that the B-8M was "roadable." I suspect that the DMV would disagree. Never mind lights, let's start with that murderous open propeller.

I had VW engine trouble in my first gyro all the time. Once, I landed on a residential cul-de-sac with the engine still running, stopped at the stop sign at the intersection with the main road and tied off my blades with the belt from my pants, then drove the gyro back to the airport. That doesn't make it legal or safe, though.

The issue with "roadable" aircraft is the same as the issue with combination tools ("It's a crescent wrench -- it's a screwdriver -- it's a can opener..."). The design goals for the items you're combining are seriously at odds with one another. You end up with a flimsy car or a heavy pig of a plane... or, heaven forbid, both.

Like a cross between a dachshund and a great Dane, some hybrids just weren't meant to be.

A plane or gyro that can self-propel down to the airport using a low-power drive to one wheel is perfectly possible. It just won't really be a car or a bike -- simply an aircraft that can taxi safely on the streets for a short distance; a big moped. It will be too flimsy to go fast or tolerate rough roads.

 

[C. Beaty]

Before “roadable” aircraft, there were “amphibious” automobiles.
Result: wretched boats and miserable automobiles.
Has anything changed?

 

[persil]

Hi. I see that this thread misses the proper, rotary-wing, flying cars. There were few I know about.
In case of autogyros I recall a Pitcairn AC-35 or something:

There is also one ongoing project from Europe, called PAL-V:

https://www.pal-v.com/

In case of helicopters there were at least two actual prototypes made by the Wagner company from Germany (in 1960's). One is the Rotocar III (that prototype is on display at the helicopter museum in Boeckeburg near Hanover, Germany) https://www.flugzeug-lexikon.de/Hubschrauber/Wagner_Rotorcar_III/wagner_rotorcar_iii.html
In the link above you can can se also one other roadable helicopter - Frankecopter (also known as Volkscopter)
Another design by Wagner is the Wagner Aerocar:

Anyone know some other rotary-wing car?

 

[Tyger]

The main issue with PAL-V's production "car" is that it does not seem to have ever actually left the ground...
Nor would it be legal even to drive in the USA. It is too heavy to be considered a "motorcycle", and cannot meet the crash-safety standards for cars.

 

[persil]

The main issue with PAL-V's production "car" is that it does not seem to have ever actually left the ground...
Nor would it be legal even to drive in the USA. It is too heavy to be considered a "motorcycle", and cannot meet the crash-safety standards for cars.

Yes, the orange one from the video above did not fly - as to my knowledge. They had prototype which did though. See:

I thought that all vehicles that do have less than 4 wheels are by default treated as a motorcycles, regardless of its weight. There are very heavy trike motorcycles made on car components. There are new designs of a tricycle cars which also probably will not satisfy modern crash-safety standards - like Aptera.

Now I also recall yet couple more of roadable autogyros:
- TrixyFormer:

- GyroMotion - its a name of an add-on (as I understand it) made by the AGN Systems company for AutoGyro machines: https://www.gyromotion.eu

I think it was presented in this years AERO exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

 

[WaspAir]

I thought that all vehicles that do have less than 4 wheels are by default treated as a motorcycles, regardless of its weight.

The F16 fighter has only three wheels. That would be fun to drive around as a motorcycle, with a touch of afterburner now and then to discourage tailgaters.

 

[Tyger]

"A motorcycle is any motor vehicle with a headlight, taillight, and stoplight, and having two or three wheels and a curb mass less than or equal to 793 kg (1,749 lb). (The limit was 680 kg, or 1,499 lb prior to the 1998 model year.)"

Yes. The flying prototype is not driveable, and the driving "production" model is not flyable. There seems to be a fundamental disconnect, which they consistently gloss over.
I too have a vehicle that I can fly but not drive, and one I can drive which does not fly. 😊

 

[persil]

Almost 800 kg is quite a lot - especially if it would be a single-seater. Anyway, the idea of flying car is for a long time with us and you must say that it is inviting. But on the other hand I have in mind that many of such companies - those existing now and in the past - attracting investors and keep development running - as it is usually the initial inventor hobby - up to the moment when investors say that enough is enough. There is also other trend with those VTOL vehicles - which for me are also as real and practicable as those flying cars - when the disc loading goes to the moon, so does the power required. It also interesting to see the river of such new projects recently, and when you have ever browse through the aviation magazines from 40's, 50's and 60's, then you see the history repeats. Of course we have a carbon fiber right now, cnc machines readily available and professional stability augmentation and autipilot systems in the sizes of cigarette box. But power ... no.

 

[Asker]

And with the FAA dragging feet with easing reserve requirement, things are a little sour right now.