Where is my flying car? Back in the 60s and 70s they promised a flying car by now. I want mine!?

Answer 1

And didn't they make the magazine depictions look really cool?
It was sort of a hovercraft type of thing and the science magazines gave spec. lay outs, prototypes, etc..

Do you think we'll be waiting much longer???

Answer 2

This info is from an article of Popular Science Magazine: The article says that it is easier to envision a helicopter in every garage than fixed-wing planes in every garage because helicopters offer two key advantages:
1. vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)= no need for a takeoff and landing strip
2. autorotation: it means that if there ever is a power failure, you will float instead of fall to the ground.
A big enemy for the widespread use of flying vehicles is safety. An accident up there could mean raining metals...
Well, there is work being done to make piloting in the sky very easy. Nasa revealed a navigation system called "Highway in the Sky," which makes the hard task of piloting in the sky into literally a videogame.
Right now I know that in the market there is at least one flying vehicle. It is the "Groen Brothers Aviation's Sparrowhauk II." It is available in kit form for $39,500. For more info on it go to americanautogyro.com
The article talks about two more specific flying vehicles. For one (Carter's Personal Air Vehicle- www.cartercopters.com) it says that it is going to be available eventually. For the other (Elwood "Woody" Norris's AirScooter II-www.airscooter.com) it says that it is going to be on the market this year. This article is from March `06 so these two vehicles may be out on the market already.

Answer 3

they also promised space travel for the common man back in the 60's 70's and 80's. theyre starting to make progress with that now. personal flying vehicles are very difficult to make, maintain, and unsafe. they do exist, but in experimental or prototypical phases. right now, it is not financially feasable, nor technologicly practical, or safe to debut a commercial flying car for the common man. maybe when the technology gets better and cheaper, and there are safe enough designs, the flying car will be possible. looking at the progress of the automotive and auronautic industries over the last hundred years...id give it another hundred or hundred fifty years untill the first flying car debuts.

Answer 4

M400 Skycar

Moller has developed, built, and flown a two passenger prototype model of a volantor called the M200X. The volantor is a new type of aircraft that combines the performance of airplanes and the VTOL capability of helicopters in a single vehicle without the limitations of either.

Using a principle similar to that of the British Harrier jump jet, the Moller Skycar volantor incorporates a patented thrust deflection vane system that redirects thrust, enabling it to hover or to takeoff and land vertically from almost any surface. This capability plus the added safety of ducted fans makes it ideal for a wide variety of commercial and military applications. These include private and charter air travel, express delivery, news gathering, border patrol, police and fire work, and search and rescue, to name just a few.

http://www.moller.com/skycar/m400/
http://www.moller.com/skycar/

Answer 5

Think very carefull about what you ask. With the current quality of drivers, would you really like to be in a collision at say a mile altitude?

Answer 6

A flying car would be too complicated. There would be too many air traffic regulations.

Answer 7

I am awaiting mine, as well. I think that GM is conspiring with Big Oil to deny us our flying cars.

Answer 8

George Bush and the evil oil companies are stopping the flying car because they are... well...Evil...

Answer 9

I think they nixed the idea after a minute of imagining what New York taxi drivers would do if they got their hands on such things.

Answer 10

Good question. And where's my robot to do all the housework and my food pill so I don't need to eat, and the colonies in space, and the cure for diseases....