Flying Cars And Roadable Aircraft

[william.walker39]

We are in 2008 and cars are not yet flying!
Where did it go wrong?

Sky Chaser project video - Sky Chaser, the 1st Blade Runner style roadable flying car: looks and drives like and car, flies both vertically like a drone and horizontally like a plane, and it is amphibian. Uses body as a wing, will be manual and fully autonomous, and powered by a hydrogen fuel cell giving it hours of range. Being developed in Sweden, and currently testing a full scale prototype.

 

[klem]

And the unforgettable 2CV.

 

[martinbayer]

Now turn that into a fully RLV SSTO and we're in business...

 

[klem]

A pure fantasy from a restaurant called flieger-flieger .

 

[Brett Davidson]

Does this count?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQLYHt-DM0Q

 

[Motocar]

¿Esto cuenta?

Ver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQLYHt-DM0Q

no

 

[Scapaflow]

And the unforgettable 2CV.

I think that sister Clotilde would probably have driven it.

 

[martinbayer]

I think that sister Clotilde would probably have driven it.

Ah, Louis de Funès, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_de_Funès - a man after my own heart ! As all truly great comedians, he had that absolutely manic, frenzied energy in his performances that is almost hypnotizing to watch (well, at least for me, anyway )!

 

[Brett Davidson]

Concepts from XPeng. I'm adding these here instead of the VTOL on Demand thread because they're explicitly car-like.

Xpeng Shows Minivan That's Also An Aircraft Carrier And Supercar That's Also A Quadcopter | Carscoops

Xpeng has revealed a flying car that really looks like a car and (if that doesn't work out) a van that contains a drone inside it that could help search and rescue organizations

www.carscoops.com

China's New Xpeng AeroHT Is An Actual Car That Flies | Carscoops

Watch Xpeng's quadcopter-glued-to-an-EV take off and fly around in a new video published by the company

www.carscoops.com

Subaru is also showing off a model.

Subaru shows off a flying car and an electric sports car in Tokyo - Autoblog

Subaru reveals the Sport Mobility Concept and Air Mobility Concept at the Japan Mobility Show. Subaru has experience with aircraft, too.

www.autoblog.com

 

[william.walker39]

The flying car in sci fi stories usually relies for lift on some form of "anti-gravity" lift engine. That is certainly true of Syd Mead's famous concept art. This removes the downblast we know from Harriers and Helicopters.
Until such an engine is designed a true flying car as opposed to a roadable helicopter is a pipedream

No, the Blade Runner flying car is possible with off the shelf technology today. We are developing a 4 wheel roadable flying car that looks and drives like a car and flies both vertically and horizontally. It has no wings to unfold and uses it's body as a wing. It will also be amphibian. The vehicle is called the Sky Chaser and we have built a working full scale prototype that flies. The vehicle will be both manual and fully autonomous l. And will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell l, giving it hours of range. For more information see our website:

Sky Chaser

Here is a presentation of the project:

Sky Chaser project presentation _13_3.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[Motocar]

Other phase

https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1718624527607865389?s=20

 

[Motocar]

Vídeo

https://fb.watch/o3G3v2W8Ta/?mibextid=K8Wfd2

 

[persil]

Sorry guys if it was already mentioned, but if not, then here you are: a Polish flying car, being now developed by the B-technology company under the brand of Beccarii (they also manufacture patented drones under the xerall brand).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DS4yEFa284

POLSKI Samochód latający pionowego startu powstaje dzięki BITCOINOWI - B-TECHNOLOGY

Beccarii to projekt latającego samochodu, który ma na celu połączenie zalet samochodu i samolotu w jednym środku transportu.

b-technology.eu

 

[Orionblamblam]

No, the Blade Runner flying car is possible with off the shelf technology today.

No, it's not. The Blade Runner "Spinner" was able to lift off without any visible or audible vertical thrust, only some mist-like exhaust with no greater thrust than a fire extinguisher (also located well aft of the center of gravity). This is only be possible if it was either lighter than air or equipped with technomagic like antigravity.

We are developing a 4 wheel roadable flying car that looks and drives like a car and flies both vertically and horizontally.

That's nice. Now show the video with the flight test audio on: I bet you it's a wee bit LOUD. Even the cruddy CGI version is brain-meltingly loud. And it could hardly be otherwise with it's very high disk loading.

 

[william.walker39]

What is your point? The fact that a vehicle with this capability and functionality is possible is amazing: it looks and drives like a car, has 4 wheels, flies both vertically and horizontally, and is even amphibian. Of course it sounds like a drone. But once high in the air, like a drone, you will hardly hear it. This is an aircraft capable of flying 10k ft !

Here is the first hover test with audio on:

Full scale hover_5.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[Orionblamblam]

What is your point?

Quite simple: "the Blade Runner flying car is possible with off the shelf technology today" is no more an accurate statement than "TIE Fighters are possible with off-the-shelf technology today."

If you want to say "flying cars are..." then, fine, sure. But specifying specific science fiction depictions is the sort of untruth that sets engineers teeth on edge.

Otherwise.... gimme my phaser. Or at the very least a light saber. I have plans.

 

[Dilandu]

The main problem with air car is not the possibility, it's practicality. Just imagine what an enormous headache mass-produced flying car would represent from the points of safety, traffic control and regulations. Land cars at least did not fell on somebody head if malfunctioned, and not every land car accident means certain death.

Even if flying over the populated areas would be forbidden (which kinda defeat the whole purpose), and only flying under external control would be allowed (sorry, no libertarians on flying pickup trucks!), mass-produced flying car would still represent at least two orders of magnitude increase of air traffic. Just merely regulating this enormous air fleet would be a tremendous problems.

 

[Orionblamblam]

The main problem with air car is not the possibility, it's practicality. Just imagine what an enormous headache mass-produced flying car would represent from the points of safety, traffic control and regulations. Land cars at least did not fell on somebody head if malfunctioned, and not every land car accident means certain death.

By the time practical personal VTOLs - not counting choppers - become not only available but affordable, it's safe to assume that computer controls for them will be readily available. Not just onboard autopilots, but ground-based air traffic controls. It's reasonable to assume that the bulk of such craft not only won't be regularly flown by actual humans, they might well not be able to.

 

[Dilandu]

By the time practical personal VTOLs - not counting choppers - become not only available but affordable, it's safe to assume that computer controls for them will be readily available. Not just onboard autopilots, but ground-based air traffic controls. It's reasonable to assume that the bulk of such craft not only won't be regularly flown by actual humans, they might well not be able to.

Most likely that, yes. But then - what's the purpose of flying car at all? If we have the means to efficiently auto-control the traffic of aerial cars, then by definition we would also have the means to auto-control the traffic of land cars. Which means, that movement would be optimized, there would be no gridlocks, very little accidents, ect. So if the purpose of flying car is to avoid problems of road traffic, then the required lefel of automatization would solve those problems as well.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Most likely that, yes. But then - what's the purpose of flying car at all? If we have the means to efficiently auto-control the traffic of aerial cars, then by definition we would also have the means to auto-control the traffic of land cars. Which means, that movement would be optimized, there would be no gridlocks, very little accidents, ect. So if the purpose of flying car is to avoid problems of road traffic, then the required lefel of automatization would solve those problems as well.

Aircraft can go where roads don't. People wouldn't have a problem with auto-piloted aircraft going 200 MPH diagonally across a grid-layout city; a car doing the same would create a bit of havoc.

 

[william.walker39]

Hi, my name is William Walker and I am a big fan of the movie Blade Runner movies, and have been developing a roadable Blade Runner style fling car since 2016 in San Diego, Calif, USA. I call it the Sky Chaser and I moved to Sweden 3 years ago to develop the full scale vehicle which is now being tested and is flying. The Sky Chaser looks a lot like the Blade Runner Spinner and has 4 large wheels and drives like a car. It also flies vertically like a drone and horizontally like an airplane. It has no external props and no unfolding wing, and uses the body as a wing. It is a tilt rotor tricopter with two tilting motors in front and 1 fixed motor in back for VTOL. The vehicle is also amphibian and can navigate as well as take off and land on water in all modes of operation. It will be both manual and fully autonomous, and it will be hydrogen powered, giving it hours of range. The project is currently moving to Abu Dhabi, UAE where it will be developed as a commercial vehicle. For more information see the links below: *Website -

*SkyChaser.se

*eVTOL news -
https://evtol.news/sky-chaser-concept-design
https://evtol.news/sky-chaser

*Project Video -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FAdls15OriuQ4hoD2xPwXeNQDQTKpK1t/view?usp=drive_link

* Flight videos - 1/6 scale, Full scale, and simulation -
https://www.tiktok.com/@william.walker39

 

[william.walker39]

Hi, my name is William Walker and I am a big fan of the Blade Runner movies, and have been developing a roadable Blade Runner style fling car since 2016 in San Diego, Calif, USA. I call it the Sky Chaser and I moved to Sweden 3 years ago to develop the full scale vehicle which is now being tested and is flying. The Sky Chaser looks a lot like the Blade Runner Spinner and has 4 large wheels and drives like a car. It also flies vertically like a drone and horizontally like an airplane. It has no external props and no unfolding wing, and uses the body as a wing. It is a tilt rotor tricopter with two tilting motors in front and 1 fixed motor in back for VTOL. The vehicle is also amphibian and can navigate as well as take off and land on water in all modes of operation. It will be both manual and fully autonomous, and it will be hydrogen powered, giving it hours of range. The project is currently moving to Abu Dhabi, UAE where it will be developed as a commercial vehicle. For more information see the links below:

*Website - https://skychaser.se

*eVTOL news -
https://evtol.news/sky-chaser-concept-design
https://evtol.news/sky-chaser

*Project Video -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FAdls15OriuQ4hoD2xPwXeNQDQTKpK1t/view?usp=drive_link

* Flight videos - 1/6 scale, Full scale, and simulation -
https://www.tiktok.com/@william.walker39

 

[Brett Davidson]

Apparently Xpeng is getting serious.

XPeng shows an electric helicopter super car hybrid at CES 2024 - Autoblog

XPeng Aeroht, a division of Chinese car company Xpeng, reveals a fantastical concept that combines a flashy sports car and a helicopter at CES 2024.

www.autoblog.com

Xpeng AeroHT launches six-wheeled truck with flying module | Autocar

Radical Land Aircraft Carrier confirmed for production this year, hitting the market at around £134,000

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[Charlesferdinand]

Then there is this. I actually like the concept: you could pick up passengers on the way, or even have a traditional bus route, mount your wings and hop across to the next island, convert back into a van and continue there.

Flying car designed to hop across the Philippines' 7,000 islands coming this year

The Luft Pinoy is an electric minivan combined with a hydrogen-powered eVTOL system to create a flying car that's practical for island-hopping.

www.livescience.com

 

[uk 75]

I am reminded of the monorail train, the VSTOL passenger liner and the passenger hoverliner or hydrofoil liner when I read the ideas in this thread.
As the above were all built in some form and seemed to be the future of transport. But as I write this in 2024 they are now niche vehicles at best.
I am sure the Musks of the world (and the Xis or Putins) will get their bottoms in the seats of a flying limo at some point.
As for the rest of us, I always smile at the scenes in "Coogans Bluff" where Eastwood uses a helicopter from the Pan Am Building in NY.

 

[martinbayer]

I am reminded of the monorail train, the VSTOL passenger liner and the passenger hoverliner or hydrofoil liner when I read the ideas in this thread.
As the above were all built in some form and seemed to be the future of transport. But as I write this in 2024 they are now niche vehicles at best.
I am sure the Musks of the world (and the Xis or Putins) will get their bottoms in the seats of a flying limo at some point.
As for the rest of us, I always smile at the scenes in "Coogans Bluff" where Eastwood uses a helicopter from the Pan Am Building in NY.

Nailed it!!! All the glittering promises of tomorrow I was made in my gullible youth...

 

[Brett Davidson]

Nailed it!!! All the glittering promises of tomorrow I was made in my gullible youth...

You're in good company with Neal Stephenson. In his novel Seveneves, for a future civilisation, iJunk are all museum pieces and they've devoted their energies to megaengineering projects.

 

[martinbayer]

You're in good company with Neal Stephenson. In his novel Seveneves, for a future civilisation, iJunk are all museum pieces and they've devoted their energies to megaengineering projects.

When it comes to dystopian futurism, I'm more of a Brave New World man myself, with a(n un?)healthy dose of Nineteen Eighty-Four thrown in for good measure - you know, the Classics, my good chap?

 

[Brett Davidson]

When it comes to dystopian futurism, I'm more of a Brave New World man myself, with a(n un?)healthy dose of Nineteen Eighty-Four thrown in for good measure - you know, the Classics, my good chap?

Indeed. Big Wells and Stapledon fan too.

 

[Archibald]

Ah, Louis de Funès, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_de_Funès - a man after my own heart ! As all truly great comedians, he had that absolutely manic, frenzied energy in his performances that is almost hypnotizing to watch (well, at least for me, anyway )!

Oscar (1967) is the pinnacle of this. In my family it is a cult movie. Every critic says De Funès "performance" in that movie is simply awesome. Mesmerizing, too.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLTdZfsU0L4


My sister and I became parents the same year (2014) a few months apart. We showed my son and my niece the above scene at a young age. Result: an instant hit. My niece already know it by heart.

0:56 in the video. Say what you want, there are few movies in this world where you see a grown man play hopscotch with a goddamn telephone. ROTFLMAO.

 

[martinbayer]

Pure. Comedic. Genius.

 

[Archibald]

The dialogue is hilarious too. In fact the entire movie is like a fine tuned swiss clockwork with one core objective: to drive De Funes crazy and unleash the above scene.
Long story short: there are three suitcases.
Suitcase 1 : 60 millions francs
Suitcase 2: 60 millions worth jewels
Suitcase 3: the maid suitcase
English Wiki has a summary (a prayer to the poor guy who whacked his brain LMAO)

Oscar (1967 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Every single time De Funes thinks he has secured the 120 million suitcases, he ends with the maid identical suitcase. Of course YOU as a spectator KNOWS it is the wrong suitcase - and thus you only have to wait - jubilating - De Funes erupting like a volcano. It's comedy gold.

He also played it in theaters, 200 times in a row. Every time he added a few more touch of madness. The lucky people who saw it, even 55 years ago, are still laughing.

 

[klem]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/milner-motors-aircar-134253/

 

[hesham]

Hi,

Zuck Airplane Design: 1949 | Patent Room

www.patentroom.com

American airplanes: Y - Z

 

[Brett Davidson]

Licensed for production. To be manufactured in China. Visibility rivalling that of a navy submarine.

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/future-tech/actual-flying-car-one-step-closer-reality

 

[henrykd]

hover test with audio on:

=iff ONE Fly Car generate (f.e. 60 dB ) noise,

then 100 hovering cars = ? dB ???

today NO ONE can solve this problem !


=But, iff one can married ALEF AERO with WHISPER AERO

(4 WADF in place of 8 open propellers AA)=NOISE problem can be solved !

or 16 WA "cold electric jets" in biplane boxwings...

NO Milion $ !

 

[Grey Havoc]

Via Slashdot:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Boeing-aims-to-bring-flying-cars-to-Asia-by-2030

 

[RAP]

Taylor Aerocar from Scale Aviation Modeller May 2009. For sale $3,500,000.

 

[RAP]

From SDASM Flickr site and identified as Model 118.

 

[RAP]

A little more on the Gero SkyCar and SkyBus.