Yes I think the VTOL is what will make these things viable. Who needs
airfields?
This is one of the few places where hybrid propulsion makes sense
because of the large mismatch between VTOL and cruise power required.
Size the hydrocarbon fuel engine for cruise, use battery electric for
VTOL. They aren't helicopters so you don't need the high power for
very long, just for VTOL and transition. The battery won't be huge.
The electric power has built in multiple redundancy and in some
designs, distributed propulsion which is easy to do with electric and
very hard with mechanical transmissions.
It is interesting that several projects are using this approach which
is an extrapolation of what the R/C model people are doing. There are
interesting tradeoffs in the competing detail designs. This seems to
be like the early days of aviation with multiple configurations being tried.
It is about time. Private aviation hasn't gone anywhere in nearly 70
years since the Bonanza and Igor Sikorsky's helicopter and both of
those have huge limitations and downsides.
Flying cars will at least make the "drive" to the gliding club more
interesting.
Unfortunately we now have an idiot bureaucracy in the way. That is
one possible answer to the Fermi Paradox too.
Mike
At 02:40 AM 9/05/2013, you wrote:
The thing that gets in the way of 'flying cars' (other than VTOLs I
guess - maybe thats why they're thinking of them now?) is the issue
of airport, airside access.
Sure, you land your roadable plane on the airfield - now, how were
you going to get it past the Airfield security fencing and onto the
road (and vice versa later on)?
On 07/05/2013, at 6:44 PM, Mike Borgelt
<<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]>
wrote:
Perusing Flight Global this morning:
<http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/terrafugia-contemplates-flying-vtol-car-385521/>http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/terrafugia-contemplates-flying-vtol-car-385521/
. A bunch of technologies are coming together to make these vehicles feasible.
CASA's worst nightmare. No doubt they'll think of a way to screw this up.
Sure beats their roadable car which must be in the running for both
ugliest airplane and ugliest car awards.
Mike
Borgelt Instruments - design & manufacture of quality soaring
instrumentation since 1978
www.borgeltinstruments.com
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instrumentation since 1978
www.borgeltinstruments.com
tel: 07 4635 5784 overseas: int+61-7-4635 5784
mob: 042835 5784 : int+61-42835 5784
P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia
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