[syhprum (OP)]

The Idea has been around for at least a hundred years and every year or so we read about a new one being developed .
I can think of no possible use for one they would have a very substandard performance on the road and the opportunities to fly them would be very limited other than in relatively empty countries such as Australia.

[alancalverd]

The idea of a mass-transport flying car certainly doesn't make sense. Fixed-wing aircraft need a lot of space to take off, manouver, and land. In heavy traffic, you can't stop or even slow down, and every conflict takes place at a closing speed of about 200 mph.

Pure rotorcraft and tilt-rotor machines are not fuel-efficient and although they can take off, manouver and land in relatively tight spaces, the havoc they cause for anything underneath makes them unacceptable except in an emergency.

Autogyros are a reasonable compromise for rural use, but the combination of airplane, glider and helicopter aerodynamics and lowlevel meteorology makes flight an intellectual challenge, so every shopping trip and school run turns into sitting five A level physics exams in an hour: few people manage more than one in a lifetime, even without dogs and kids in the back seat!     

Part of the problem is poor problem definition. If you want to travel less than 50 miles, a car is ideal because for most trips there will be a convenient road and no requirement for "pre-flight" preparation - you can refuel en route and if anything goes wrong you can stop. Unless you are travelling from one flying school or farm strip to another, the car will be quicker.

From 100 to 500 miles, a small plane is much quicker and whilst slightly more expensive than a car, it's cheaper than first-class rail travel and a lot less stressful than driving. The problem is getting from your terminal airport to your actual destination. Major airports tend to put the flying club as far as possible from the passenger terminal where the car rental and taxis  are based* - often on the other side of the runway. I carry a folding bike in the Cessna, which makes this less of a chore, but the ideal would be a 2-seat light aircraft with detachable wings and a roadworthy undercarriage - just enough comfort to drive the last 10 miles or so into town at 30 mph, leaving the flying surfaces at the airport. I think somethng on the lines of a Harley-Davidson trike with a rigid microlight wing would do the job.

*Southampton being a notable exception - cafe, car rental, taxis and even a train station just 2 minutes' walk from the light aircraft park - superb!

[chris]

At what point does a car become an aeroplane?

[syhprum (OP)]

Why the complication of making your light aircraft with removable wings fit to drive on the road ? why not put it on a trailer behind your pickup as people do their gliders ?

[alancalverd]

Have you ever driven a glider trailer? They are specifically exempted from some traffic regulations as "indivisible load" and present as much of a challenge to drive in a crosswind as landing the glider itself! On unflyable days, some gliding clubs organise trailer driving and parking competitions, with serious prizes for the brave. 

More to the point, getting to the departure airfield is rarely a problem: most pilots have cars/bikes/motorbikes at home. The problem is getting from the arrival airfield (usually rural) to your final destination (mostly urban). And why take the wings on the road anyway? You only need them to fly, so why not leave them where the flying begins and ends? Wings and tailplanes are particularly vulnerable to damage, so best not dragged around the city streets more than necessary, but the undercarriage and cabin are necessarily as robust as most sports cars, so perfectly suited to road travel.

[alancalverd]

At what point does a car become an aeroplane?

Legally, when it can leave the ground under its own power, cross a 50 ft barrier within 800m of takeoff (I think this is correct - any less initial rate of climb falls into the category of motorised glider) and sustain  flight to a controlled landing. So a racing car on a ski jump doesn't count.   

[Supervolant]

Please don't worry.

My father and myself already started building IT. It is going to be beautiful and I want the third generation vehicle going to be affordable for everyone. Sadly the exact project features are top secret even though I would love to talk about everything specific because it's pure epic.

My presence in this forum is purely connected to the project and I am thankful that the naked scientists exist.

My heart and soul are connected 24/7 to it and I would die for real, seeing it lift of the ground...

We will have "flying cars" But please... Don't call something that's flying, a car. These needs to stop before it is released ok? Cars are automobiles. In germany ,where I come from, auto is the translation of car. So in return the "flying car's" should be named: "flight mobile" or shortly...
"Wanna hop into my "flight" and cruise around above the clouds?"

By the way. The german country is very regulated in terms of aviation. Maybe too regulated... That's why I assume me and my father + the team will have to move to the united states (said it since I was 4 for some reason... Everything makes sense now) in order to make it a reality.

Soon...

[alancalverd]

Good luck, and let me know when the second prototype is ready to fly - I'll have it!

A mile of road will take you nowhere. A mile of runway will take you anywhere.

[Supervolant]

How about no runway? "cough" V.T.O.L. technology "cough" okay but that's enough! ;-)

[Wicked96]

What about helicopters? But they are really loud tho, so i dont think how practical it is to even have roads in the air.

[Bored chemist]

At what point does a car become an aeroplane?

Here
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Either that, or it becomes a coffin.