Society of Robots - Robot Forum
General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: Admin on April 10, 2012, 03:51:03 AM
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You still need to be rich to own one, but hey, finally there are flying cars being sold on the market! Maybe in 25 years the price will become affordable for the average guy . . .
Flying cars are actually quite practical. Currently, if you own a small personal plane and want to travel, you can fly into any airport you want. But after you get there, you're stuck because you don't have a car waiting for you. This kills the freedom and the entire point of owning a plane (in the practical sense).
But with a flying car, after you land, you can still get around. And even fill up at the local gas station.
The first one is the PAL-V:
http://pal-v.com/ (http://pal-v.com/)
The vertical takeoff capabilities are great as you no longer need an airport or long runway.
PAL-V Flying Car - Maiden Flight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgHSaNtAMjs#ws)
The second is The Transition:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17626818 (http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17626818)
http://www.terrafugia.com/ (http://www.terrafugia.com/)
Although clearly faster and has much better range than the PAL-V, it requires a half kilometer long runway.
The Transition(R): Driven to Fly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6MVQ4m0vaE#ws)