Thread: Roadable aircraft in 2011

I don't mean to go on with this debate, but I don't think you'd spend 200000 USD on this vehicle to take your children to school. So don't expect it to be made for that.

Originally Posted by ExoByte

I don't think its not a car, I just think its more of a plane than a car.

Rather than a car with flight functions, it seems more like a plane with car-like functions.

A "flying car" would be ideally described as a more nimble vehicle. I mean that in the way that a flying cars purpose would be for travels within the city, but its not as agile as a car and doesn't seem like this would be possible.

A car would be more geared* towards going from home to the store, to drop your kids off at school and then to work. This doesn't ever utilize its flying capabilities while doing that within the city. You want to fly, you go to the airport, take off then go to the next city or airport, which could be convenient but isn't exactly a flying car. It goes back to being a drivable plane.

Yes its a step forward, but I don't think its ready to carry the label of flying car. Its a street legal plane is all.

*Pun totally intended.

So, because it's not particularly made for flying within the city, it's not a car? Or, because someone is more apt to drop off their kids at school in their Hyundai, than in the Transition, the Transition is not a car?

Pretty arbitrary definition of a "car", don't you think?

Even with that being said, you can do the tasks you mentioned (going to the store, dropping off your kid at school) in the Transition. It has that capability, and is apparently street legal.

You can NOT, legally (or practically) do those things in a plane.

So...again...how is this not a flying car?

Originally Posted by Kromoh

I don't mean to go on with this debate, but I don't think you'd spend 200000 USD on this vehicle to take your children to school. So don't expect it to be made for that.

Exactly, and when it all comes right down to it, you can actually land this flying car at an airport, and drive it around the city. You can go to a restaurant for lunch, stop by the gas station for a refill, and basically take it anywhere around town, that you want.

Show me a plane that can do all this, legally and practically, and the idea that this is "not a flying car" might have a little more weight.

This is funny.

I'm getting a lot of R/S flashback right now.

Originally Posted by Noogah

You can park it in your garage and take off on the highway.

all the cars around you won't mind backing up so you can take off, too. and airtraffic, accidents, etc. would be more epic.

lol Jeff

But enough of this bickering. It's a boat, A BOAT!!

Well, it COULD be boat, if it floats in water.... And had a propellor.... Well, doesn't it have one somewhere? XD

This will kill a lot of people.

Flying car = Terrorist

Group of terrorists fly their 26 cars into a building.

I actually had that thought last night; this car opens up so many possibilities for terrorism and all around boundary-pushing behaviours.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

That was a runway dude.

This.

@ Oneironaut: Still not a flying car to me. Once again, I agree with ExoByte.

@ Clyde Machine: When it took off, it looked like a plane. So just a plane with retractable wings IMO.



Here's a hydro-car.

Now THIS I'd classify as a car-boat. It looks like a car. It can be used like a normal car.

BTW, when you think about it, a small plane is pretty much like this roadable aircraft, except its wings can't fold up. Otherwise you'd beable to park one in a driveway too.

Whatever happened to this thing?

One hell of a getaway vehicle.

Originally Posted by TamiDoll

@ Clyde Machine: When it took off, it looked like a plane. So just a plane with retractable wings IMO.

Well.... If the only difference between this and a plane without retractable wings is just that, the lack of retractable wings, you might be right. But, it's got a steering wheel. And gas/brake pedals. And wheels. Among other things that planes don't have that cars do have.



To everyone who wants to suggest it's not a flying car, sorry, it IS a flying car. Seriously.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Whatever happened to this thing?

THAT thing never had anything come of it.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Whatever happened to this thing?

THAT thing should've had something come of it.

The only thing that thing ever managed to do was make a few crane tethered floats.

Too big, too noisy, too dangerous, too expensive, too unreliable.

Originally Posted by TamiDoll

Now THIS I'd classify as a car-boat. It looks like a car. It can be used like a normal car.

The same thing can be said for Terrafugia.

It doesn't look PRECISELY like a car, but it looks pretty close. And, it can be driven on land, thus, it is also a car.

Anyways, what do you want from a flying car? Do you expect it to just hover without any sort of wings?

Good luck with that. You would have to build in jet engines like the thing that Clyde posted a picture of. It would be unstable, unreliable, noisy, not to mention all the fuel it would devour.

Things can't always be like science fiction.

People might just have to settle with wings.

Yea, the Moller Skycar man, that looked awesome.

This white thing though... that's a step in the wrong direction IMO.

I'm not saying its shit, I'm just saying that the Skycar is miles better.

Moller...moller.....wait....isn't that the guy who made the Disco Jet?

Originally Posted by Noogah

You would have to build in jet engines like the thing that Clyde posted a picture of.

Actually that was Spartiate.

And, "People might just have to settle with wings." is the funniest line I've seen in a while.

As Exo said, a car/plane hybrid is not remotely what people have in mind when they think of a "flying car." Aside from novelty, what value does this thing have? I can't see anyone who would keep a small plane (and that's what we're talking about in terms of expense and, I'd imagine, licensing) quibbling about driving or hiring a car to the airport. Most likely, it has significant disadvantages vs. a dedicated small plane or even a dedicated car. Those wings can't be good for gas mileage.

Blah, the vehicle in question would be called "Roadable Aircraft"

My exam project in technology was about all these vehicles.

Just thought I'd offer this:

Originally Posted by Google > define: flying car

A flying car or roadable aircraft is a vehicle which can travel on roads and in the air. It is both an aircraft and an automobile. All the working examples have required some manual or automated process of conversion between the two modes of operation.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_car_(aircraft)

(emphasis mine)

...but nobody listens to me, anyway, so carry on.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Just thought I'd offer this:


(emphasis mine)

...but nobody listens to me, anyway, so carry on.

Look just below your quote in the wiki article:

"A slightly different concept that is sometimes referred to as a "flying car", particularly in science fiction, is that of an aircraft that would be practical enough for every day travel, but would not necessarily be drivable on the roads."


I don't find the distinguishing of these very related terms worth arguing over.

Originally Posted by Specialis Sapientia

Look just below your quote in the wiki article:

"A slightly different concept that is sometimes referred to as a "flying car", particularly in science fiction, is that of an aircraft that would be practical enough for every day travel, but would not necessarily be drivable on the roads."


I don't find the distinguishing of these very related terms worth arguing over.

I saw it. What stood out mostly, though, was the phrase "particularly, in science fiction." And I'm not saying, at all, that both interpretations of "flying car" aren't correct. I'm saying that they are both correct, and that both concepts can be labelled as "flying cars."

Essentially, I agree with you, and I'm saying that there being a debate about whether or not the Transition is a flying car is kinda silly, because it obviously is.