So it seems there’s yet another “company” promising a flying car just aaaany day now. Kids, I’ve been hearing that since my first E. E. Smith novel. And you wanna do it how?
One of the drawbacks of this technology at this point in development is how limited fly times are given the current state of battery capacity. However, as more traditional car companies go electric, the technology will catch up rapidly. According to Mayman, “…the beauty of distributed electric propulsion is that it’s very, very scalable. The way that electric motors work, it’s hey, you wanna make something for two people? OK, you just add power to the electric motors.”
They basically just want to build a really big hobby-shop drone with the remote control inside the cockpit. Why do I think there are no engineers on this company’s board? Or even ex-mechanics? Because while that is – sort of – ‘the way electric motors work,’ nothing is free. And the downside of ‘just adding power’ is just adding weight. Which requires more power. Which requires more weight. Repeat. All of which plays directly on the limitations of your batteries, the technology of which has proven stubbornly reluctant to ‘catch up.’ Ask anybody who lives off-grid.
The article starts out with this idiotic tidbit: “The guys who brought the world its first working jetpack are now looking to get into the flying car business.”
(Sigh) anyone who has ever addicted to James Bond movies would know that’s simply not true. The Bell Rocket Belt goes back to the early 60’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JjCS2uciXo
Necessary technology aside, I still have my initial reservation about flying cars.
When you stand off and observe traffic patterns in any city at rush hour, consider the ramifications of all those vehicles being free to go just ANYWHERE all at once in all three dimensions, unlimited by the reality of fixed path availability and traffic controls. Can you imagine the resulting “big one” that would put NASCAR to shame?
Consider how carefully the tiny handful of commercial and general aviation aircraft must be controlled, and then turn a few million everyday duffers loose with the George Jetson Super Scooter, MK I.
I’ll be darned. After all these years, I had no idea that electric motors were limited only by power input. Excuse me while I go replace my Ranger motor with that drive motor I pulled out of the old hard drive the other day. I’ll just need a few batteries…
Interesting. From their web site, it doesn’t look like they’ve gotten past the prototype stage. Possibly because their “chief engineer” specializes in “design and manufacture of stabilized camera systems.” Their “test pilot” “spent over a decade in the mineral exploration and mining sector and subsequently the digital media and technology sector.”
I think their claim to have the first jet pack is based on theirs being jet turbine powered (rather than the H2O2 rocket of 007 fame). But I’m pretty sure I recall someone doing a dual high-bypass jet design that flew.
Personally I would rather have one of these because I think they would be safer and there’s no issue with batteries. The only downside is they are not VTOL so they need a runway (or straight roadway) to get airborne.
http://pal-v.com
Unlike the Jetpack Aviation flying car, this flying vehicle one has already flown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_eAgJuEqfY
and will be on sale “any day now.” ;^)
Hell, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the problem, although those guys DO have a handle on the problem.
There was a reason the Saturn V was so big, and the size of the payload was only the start of things. You burn most of your fuel load just lifting the fuel that actually sends the guys to the moon and back – aka “Law of Diminishing Returns”.
See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soxxPyaAT1k
There are a few human carry capable drone designs. All are what big J said they were but the designs are decent imagine a helicopter with 15 mini propellers if one or 5 get knocked out you can still fly…. Or atleast fall slower…. Thwn theres my favorite its an adaptation of a 1960s hover bike…. But its all mechanical two giant fans pointing to the ground with air flaps and mechanical controls looks kinda like a giant motorcycle…. Thwn theres the best design i saw it already works well but im sure the reason its not realesed is because of traffic laws… Its basically a small 2 person cockpit with three propellers its like a tad bit smaller than the mash helicopter
Sendarius the reason the saturn was so big is because to lift straight up and down is the hardest way to travel to outer space if we had the design technology we build a giant helicopter probably with a million drone proprellers once it gets up to 5k feet ot would then turn on its ramjet internal combustion engine to get up to speeds to break out of the atmosphere and earth orbit. If the ramjey wasnt enough i would think then they would also add a detachable rocket to the bottom of the ship it would also have solar sails for long distance space travel and ofcourse a jet or maybe compressed air for space manuevers if u had an internal combustion engine u could run an air pump but i dont know were u would get the extra air…. Its all about technology limitations is what im saying