What do we want?! Flying Cars! .. When do we want them?! 5 years ago! (Page 3) Corwin: Jane! Stop this crazy thing!  Now, THIS is what I'm talkin' about!  The Vision VTOL. With something like this, who needs wheels or roads. It doesn't need to double as a car. This is only a CGI representation, but it allegedly works on paper -- with one hitch -- we need batteries with 5 times the storage capacity per weight of present Lithium Ion tech to give it a 3 hour range and be at all practical. But they've got the right idea. The cockpit is based on existing ultralight sailplane design -- lightweight and streamlined. Tilt-rotor design to maximize efficiency at high-speed. Fly-by-wire computer assisted control (like existing drone tech) for ease and safety. I've seen other concept designs, but they're all so big and heavy, overly complex, and EXPENSIVE. I want THIS one. Corwin: From an engineering standpoint, I see a few things wrong with this design though. The rotors need to be extended further out to the sides for greater stability if it encounters less-than-ideal wind conditions. And it definitely needs a pryo-ejected safety parachute if it encounters catastrophic control failure or power failure. These kinds of chute-systems already exist for ultralight aircraft. Now, if battery technology improves in leaps and bounds in the near future (which would not surprise me one bit), I can see the skies buzzing with these things. To address earlier issues mentioned regarding arsehole drivers and busy skies, this could be solved with a whole new infrastructure in place regarding air-traffic control and auto-piloting. -- Each craft has a GPS transponder. -- A fully-auto flight mode, with centralized computer air-traffic monitoring and guidance systems that control flight-path in "controlled airspace" over busier urban areas. -- Heavy fines and license suspension for manual operation while in those controlled airspace zones. You wouldn't even need flying cops to pull you over for this -- an auto-guidance-override that sets your new course to the police station impound yard where they issue your fine. People just wouldn't do it. -- During flight in rural areas, and during manual-flight, a Collision Warning and Avoidance System built into each craft's guidance software -- you'd be alerted of another craft's proximity before you even saw them, and offered a suggested course-correction... and in the case of an idiot ignoring this warning, the computer would automatically take over, communicate with the other craft's guidance computer, and an optimal course-correction initiated before manual-control was returned. That could turn out to be safer than our existing roads and highways. It would also mean trusting our lives to a bunch of microchips, but we're going to see something similar with self-driving cars in the not-too-distant future as it is. And microchips are likely more trustworthy than some of these arseholes you see on the roads today. Corwin: Pffft... I'm talking flying cars here, and you want the IMPOSSSIBLE. Phone batteries staying charged.   But yeah... this is the same thing here really. It's all a matter of where the "juice" comes from. Corwin: Great contribution, Bobby. My favorite was that Kittyhawk Flyer. Ultralight, inexpensive, a "man-toy" more than a "practical" utility vehicle. Works for me.  Blackshoes: I'll never live long enough to see an Inexpensive personal flight . Yet, if the Lord tarries it may happen sooner or later  AretoNyx: Inexpensive is subjective. I can barely afford a vehicle I have now and the gas. Not even public transportation is very affordable to me. Corwin: I'm lucky enough to have a few toys. My Harley Davidson for one. If they could make an ultralight VTOL in the same price-range, I might consider trading up.  Although a motorcycle is more practical any way you slice it. Blackshoes: I've had my Pilot license for over 35 years As the saying goes" If God meant man to fly he'd had given him more money"  The giant midget: My pilot license pre solo flight test was canceled in May it will be sometime in June 2022 next possible date if things go well with the vaccination against Covid and things go back to some normality that's the info I have been given by Transport Canada   Corwin: THIS one is totally "next level" awesome! The thing does aerobatics! They're flying it remotely in the vid (testing phase), but it IS built to be manned. VERY exciting stuff. But back to the issue of "limited flight time". We need better battery tech. The giant midget: Very interesting Crazy wild young brains at work around the world to come up with such engineering feasts Thank god that our kids in Canada are smarter and just stick to the studies of sexual gender and social justice  (Post deleted by Cherilyn10 ) | Science Chat Room 1 Person Chatting Similar Conversations |
