Flying Car

[Cosmick]

Flying car almost ready for take-off - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

I want one .................

 

 

[Guest sirius]

Taylor built one years ago. I believe it has recently undergone a restoration and still flies today.

 

 

[planedriver]

Just the thing for visiting Wings and Wheels.

 

If the weather turns sour, you can land and drive there anyway.

 

You'd be guaranteed plenty of attention whichever way you arrived.

 

I'd like one too, if the price is right, but I'd bet they'd be more suited to the deep pocket brigade.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

I'm a bit dubious about these....I tend to think that when something has been designed to do too many things, it often ends up doing all of them badly. When it comes to flying, I tend to feel that I'd prefer to be doing it in something that's been designed solely for flying...

 

But that could just be me

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

This story surfaces every couple of years. The company was formed in 2006. First flight testing was in 2009. More info at the home web site. It has been registered as an LSA un the U.S. They anticipate delivering the first from commercial production in 2011, so get in line:keen:

 

Absolutely brilliant idea.

 

A bit of touch parking may not be so good for the elevator and canard. I don't think I'd be happy about leaving one in the Safeway carpark:laugh:

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

James Maye recently flew in the Taylor flying car. looks great. i saw the Terrafugia at airventure before it flew . brillant conceept. feat of design to make it both airworthy and road compliant. what you save on airport parking fees you would possibly lose in time waste trying to get thru all the locked gates. other than the obvious no take off on road rule i wonder how CASA will find a way to kill this off.

 

 

[facthunter]

Flying Car.

 

Not just you Darky, I'm with you here. Hard enough to build an aeroplane right, let alone want to make it work as a car too.

 

The Taylor was interesting. (James Maye) and apparently valued in the millions. Mixing it with road traffic is no place for a fragile bird. Planes belong in the air. That is their element. They behave awkwardly everywhere else. Nev

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

At $194,000 USD...what a nightmare to park, and heaven forbid bingle...with front and rear bumpers being flying control surfaces, just not practical in the real world and I doubt if you could get affordable insurance premiums...personally, I'd rather an amphib.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Give the concept another 100 years or so, remember they used to say that flying was only for the birds.

 

 

[Guest Baphomet]

I rellay liked this part

 

"US authorities have bent their rules for the aircraft, which could make it much more accessible for people without a pilot's licence. "

 

Just what we need.

 

 

[eastmeg2]

other than the obvious no take off on road rule i wonder how CASA will find a way to kill this off.

No worries Oz, I'm 110% sure that CASA won't have to lift a finger. The RTA and other state equivalents will do that for them.

 

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

From past fiascos of law bending (or rather inconsistency) I guess anybody will be able to buy and drive it with a driver's licence, but won't be allowed to fly it without a pilot's licence / certificate. Those pilots who are under age for a driver's licence will not be able to drive it on the road.

 

The classic Australian stuff-up that always comes to my mind was that it was legal to import and sell CB equipment, but illegal to use it. For those long enough in the tooth, it used to be illegal to own prior to the abolition of the "Radio and TV licence" (which entitled one to onw and use a radio receiver and / or television set). In the end CB was legalised in Australia, with a CB licence, which was subsequently abolished. Both these changes occurred due to widespread civil disobedience and an inability to enforce the provisions.

 

In addition to VFR and IFR, they'll need to create RFR (road flight rules)

 

 

[dazza 38]

Give the concept another 100 years or so, remember they used to say that flying was only for the birds.

Hi Ozzie, unfortunatly we will all be dead.

 

 

[DKM1]

It would have to meet ADR standards, which would double the cost to be road legal.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

They were seeking a higher weight allowance from the FAA than what they were given to offset the extra weight needed to comply with the US road standards. But as it is it does comply ,search the EAA files for the story on it.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Its going to be on channel Seven tonight at six.

 

 

[DKM1]

US road standards OK. But I was referring to Australian design rule which would mean a lot more red tape, allot more them CASA could dream of.

 

 

[Ultralights]

i can see the headlines now, hundreds of commuters killed in flying cars as violent storm and cold front crosses the city! bring wind gusts of 60 kph heavy rain and hail.....

 

i dont think the flying car thing and thousands of people commuting in the air, will ever be a big thing for the reason suggested above...

 

 

[bushpilot]

About as useful as an Army Duck: Neither good in the water nor on the road.. but serves a purpose for a very small number of applications..

 

 

[Cosmick]

Realistically it will never hapen if the General Public are in control of their vehicle. Only when the system can safely control the trafic so that idiots have no input. Just like the Jetsons and then you can walk your dog on a treadmill. Here Astro............... (we don't have a dog icon)

 

 

[Guest eland2705]

Thanks Cosmick - I won!

 

Had a bet with myself (sad ainit?) that someone would mention the Jetsons. Anyone got the sound byte of the Jetsons' flying car?

 

 

[REastwood]

James May said in his show on the flying car, if cars had not been invented and someone came along today and proposed a metal box weighing a tonne, capable of traveling well over 100kph, being controlled by a person operating the contraption with nothing but a wheel and some pedals it would never happen! How hard it must be these days to bring any unique invention into production, I guess you need a lot of determination and squillions of dollars. Let's hope this doesn't die a silent death so that in time it can be refined, copied, improved etc.

 

Rick.

 

 

[jetjr]

I support the idea that this is a duck

 

Old saying "it can walk, it can swin, it can fly but does none of them well"

 

 

[pudestcon]

I support the idea that this is a duckOld saying "it can walk, it can swin, it can fly but does none of them well"

So I take it that a few on here think it's a "Dead Duck" then?

 

Pud

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

 

The duck flies!!