Hydrogen-powered 'flying car' to be used in emergencies

[red750]

A'flying car' designed to respond to emergencies in remote and regional Australia is one year closer to lift-off after receiving a $5.43 million funding boost from the federal government. 

 

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced its investment in Sydney-based start-up ASML Aero on Wednesday, in what it called a bid to demonstrate the the feasibility of hydrogen-powered planes. 

 

Read more here.

 

[Thruster88]

The people of regional  and remote  Australia  would probably  rather the $5.43 million  was spent on keeping the aircraft  that actually  work and can fly the vast distances  required,  B200 PC12 etc flying .

[facthunter]

It's the price of 2 slightly better than average HOUSES, just to put it in context. Like many I would just love it IF there was no problem with what we are doing to the climate.  Nev

[Litespeed]

Given we give $11 billion in direct subsidies to burn fossil fuels and promote monster utes for any business, I think it's a tiny investment in the future.

[Geoff_H]

To my mathematical thoughts and studying and a huge proponent of hydrogen I think it is extremely "ambitious ".

[turboplanner]

22 minutes ago, Geoff_H said:

To my mathematical thoughts and studying and a huge proponent of hydrogen I think it is extremely "ambitious ".

Yes, but they can start earlier due to this general funding.

An interesting boost for "Flying Car" projects in reviving the use of hydrogen. Not only will it power the car, but it will lift itself (c).

[spacesailor]

WHY 

A flying car .

The boat-car never sailed off , even though it worked well. 

The concept of having two uses , for one registration, doesn't work that well .

' motorhomes ' versus ' car & caravan ' , still works in favour of leaving the van on site , while sightseeing,  in the car . ( or loosing your camp-spot, as it is vacant, while sightseeing in the motorhome ) .

spacesailor

 

[facthunter]

The  Combination usually ends up being poor at both tasks. I know of plenty of drownings in Army "Ducks" and the corrosion and maintenance levels are high having done a fair bit of it.. The little ones were based on the Willy's /Ford Jeeps and the bigger ones on the GMC 6x6.   Nev

[Litespeed]

The idea of chimera vehicles ie has the design DNA of two species is always problematic. 

 

The successful designs are absolute rarities. Even big flying boats had limited boat ability, a lack of water props been a big limitation. Chimeras tend to be niche machines of limited success. It's a tough ask to make one good at either task when lugged with additional weight, and very hard to do both jobs well.  

 

 

I can think of one machine that fills a small niche. The Caraboat is a caravan that slides off the trailer to become a usable sheltered waters and fair weather outside houseboat.

For some it makes great sense at a price point matching similar size caravans and cheaper than any similar specced boat. 

Lighter than a real van to tow as well.

 

Aussie design

 

[Litespeed]

https://www.caraboat.com.au/

 

I am biased as I know the designer they build locally at Port Stephens and in Thailand.

 

But a very competent solution nonetheless.

Traditionally to get a boat with caravan meant a tinny stuck on top the van or 4wd, a huge pain and tiny tinnie. Or a expensive cruiser boat and your stuck to waterways.

This within limits actually gives the best of both worlds and has design features that are excellent for either a boat or caravan, that it manages to be a excellent for both is the exception to the norm.

 

It's shallow draft is also a bonus for landlubbers.

 

With solar charging it literally is fee free caravaning on any  protected water you wish. Park fees are prohibitive and your stuck in one spot, "the water is your oyster" or crab pot, fish etc.

 

Having Dolphins cruise by each day is amazing, not something you see in a caravan park.

Not only does this Chimera successfully work it's actually a far cheaper and resources friendly way of meeting a need that already exists. A result far greater than the sum of its parts, a absolute case of "rare as Rockin horse  shit".

 

Having lived on the water 4 years now, I have a reasonable perspective of what really works and wish lists.

 

I know it's not a aircraft but a great case study on a rare successful chimera.

That it's local really floats my boat.

 

Designers need to cast a wide net for ideas.

 

 

 

[Litespeed]

[Bernie]

16 hours ago, spacesailor said:

WHY 

A flying car .

The boat-car never sailed off , even though it worked well. 

The concept of having two uses , for one registration, doesn't work that well .

' motorhomes ' versus ' car & caravan ' , still works in favour of leaving the van on site , while sightseeing,  in the car . ( or loosing your camp-spot, as it is vacant, while sightseeing in the motorhome ) .

spacesailor

 

I tow a Yarris behind my Motorhome...and don't use CP's

[facthunter]

Yaris.. Do they tow behind  wthout hurting their transmission?   I like something I can get level and minimal cost weight and complexity. Some bring their home with them and get straight onto the Computer or onto the grog (Like at Home).  Nev

[spacesailor]

That ' caraboat ' , 

Sits on a ' registered trailer ' plus, possibly marine rego to boot.

So has to be a ' litte ' more expensive to own .

A house-boat on a trailer will be the same cost .

But a small ' trailer yacht ' does Not need marine registration. 

And you sleep on the trailer if you want to stop rocking & rolling .

A motorhome , only has road registration .

spacesailor

 

[Litespeed]

Yes it's two regos to pay but it's only approx $200 a year  on the boat, a small fraction of the tow cars rego. 

 

Any sailboat should be registered if only for proof against theft and for rescue services ident.

 

A houseboat will be substantially heavier, for the same features and does not have a 17 knt top speed. They tend to be too heavy for even a big ute to tow.

 

 

[ClintonB]

On 9/11/2023 at 6:06 PM, facthunter said:

It's the price of 2 slightly better than average HOUSES, just to put it in context. Like many I would just love it IF there was no problem with what we are doing to the climate.  Nev

In more remote places that could be 20 plus houses. I know roads cost a lot to upkeep, but how practical is a machine such as this. I still doubt they could handle storms and bad conditions any better than conventional helos and fixed wing aircraft.

[Bernie]

19 hours ago, facthunter said:

Yaris.. Do they tow behind  wthout hurting their transmission?   I like something I can get level and minimal cost weight and complexity. Some bring their home with them and get straight onto the Computer or onto the grog (Like at Home).  Nev

No problem with the gear box Nev. and I only have two beers home or away...motorhome weight makes it zero alcohol when driving . 

[skippydiesel]

Call me weird but I have difficulty viewing helicopters as flying machines, let alone something that levitates using gas. It will fail  & be relegated to being an  advertising billboard.

Edited November 12, 2023 by skippydiesel

[facthunter]

They don't usually CRASH gracefully.. I don't like them personally and don't ride in them and never have. I've done a lot of research on the statistics and causes of crashes. Need very good pilotage and a lot of maintenance. Nev

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

They don't usually CRASH gracefully.. I don't like them personally and don't ride in them and never have. I've done a lot of research on the statistics and causes of crashes. Need very good pilotage and a lot of maintenance. Nev

And presumably very benign winds.

[spacesailor]

But ! 

If your quick to disengage the motor it will become an .

Autogyro-glider

spacesailor

[onetrack]

Spacey, I doubt very much whether there's any worthwhile level of auto-rotation available from those small propellors - and the AMSL Aero VERTIIA uses propellors, not rotors.

A helicopter rotor is built as a "rotary wing", with wing design and lift ability in the rotor blades - those VERTIIA propellors have little lift ability.

Plus, AMSL Aero are a "start-up company" with zero track record in aircraft design. They're a couple with a glitzy website, they're full of ideas, and they just want 50 billionaire investors to give them lots of money so they can experiment with their fancy-looking ideas for the next 20 years. Their website is very short on engineering principles and design as regards the wings and motive power, just big on the aircraft cabin design "potential". 

There's hundreds of these "revolutionary aircraft" websites in existence, they all have one major feature - they still need another 20 years and 2 billion dollars to convert their ideas into viable working products.

 

https://www.vertiia.com/

[Carbon Canary]

 

 

Aviation Logistics signs Order for 10 Vertiia eVTOLs - Australian Flying

[danny_galaga]

On 10/11/2023 at 6:46 AM, turboplanner said:

Yes, but they can start earlier due to this general funding.

An interesting boost for "Flying Car" projects in reviving the use of hydrogen. Not only will it power the car, but it will lift itself (c).

It's going to be  liquid hydrogen, that means it'll be heavier than air.

Edited February 9 by danny_galaga

[LoonyBob]

On 08/11/2023 at 5:36 PM, red750 said:

A'flying car' designed to respond to emergencies in remote and regional Australia is one year closer to lift-off after receiving a $5.43 million funding boost from the federal government. 

 

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced its investment in Sydney-based start-up ASML Aero on Wednesday, in what it called a bid to demonstrate the the feasibility of hydrogen-powered planes. 

 

Read more here.

 

How controllable is it with an assymetric failure?