Flying car (aircraft)

A flying car (also flying car or wheel plane ) is a means of transport which combines the properties of an aircraft with the advantages of a motor vehicle. The requirements for a flying car are therefore: compact dimensions, reverse and ease of use. In addition, the vehicle should require extremely short take-off and landing distances, which would make unnecessary the use of an airport.

Advantages of flying cars

Flying car Waterman Aerobile

Terrafugia Transition flying car with wings folded

Terrafugia Transition flying car with open wings

Flying cars would have the advantages that expensive investments in road infrastructure could be eliminated and that higher travel speeds would be possible on roads as compared to conventional cars. Another advantage would be that, if it succeeds, the best use of the airspace, this theory could accommodate more traffic than the road network.

Disadvantages of flying cars

Flying cars are fuel consumption, in the acquisition and maintenance more expensive than conventional cars, even if a low-cost mass production takes place. Flying cars are likely to produce higher driving noise, which would be worse shield of ground objects. The maintenance function of essential parts with greater care needs to be performed because malfunctions are much fatal.

Also safety they are much more problematic than vehicles because an airplane is much more difficult to master and any accidents would have much worse consequences.

History

Early experiments

The first design, the car Plane of 1917, which was not capable of flight, however, comes from Glenn Curtiss. The first flying car that could pass a flight, was built by Waldo Waterman. Waterman knew Curtiss, since these advanced aircraft for the Marine aviation in 1910 at the Port of San Diego. On March 21, 1937, he led his maiden flight with the Aerobile. This flying car was an evolution of his invented " tailless " aircraft, the Whatsit. It had a wingspan of 12 m and a length of 6.10 m. Both on the ground and in the air, it was driven by a motor of the company Studebaker. The plane was in the air a maximum of 177 km / h and the bottom 88 km / h.

Post-war development

In the postwar decades was triggered by science fiction, the idea that the flying car was in the 21st century, the standard of transport. The reality was different, however. There were some prototypes, such as the Convair Model 118 on July 12, 1946, its first flight or the Moulton Taylor Aerocar models I to III of the years 1949 and 1950. However, you had no commercial success and remained on the public largely unnoticed. The Mizar, a study of the engineer Henry Smolinski, united the rear part of a Cessna Skymaster with a Ford Pinto. However, the two parts broke away during a flight, and Smolinski and the pilot died in the crash.

Since 1964 is dedicated to Paul Moller of the development of flying cars. His last study, the Moller Skycar is a four -seater, which will automatically fly to any desired programmed into the onboard computer place without the assistance of the occupants. 2003, a previous first flight tests was subjected.

The latest development is the transition of the U.S. company Terrafugia, which one wants to introduce in 2011 a small series on the market. The PAL - V of the engineer John Bakker - a gyroplane - has completed the maiden flight in 2012.