We’ve made some major technological advances in the lastcentury – the internet, the AC Compressor and the A/C Compressorwould have been unimaginable in 1912. Still, there are things that we have beendreaming about in science fiction for decades that still haven’t come to be.One of the most prolific is the idea of the flying car.
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| Cops and Cabs in The 5th Element |
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has dreamed of flying awaywhile stuck in traffic. It would be just like the movies! Highways in the sky,floating traffic lights, silent flying cars whooshing by, and all self-drivenand pre-programmed to whisk us to our desired locations. It’s a beautiful dreamthat many believe is the future for personal transportation. Question is, isit?
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| Terrafugia Transition |
Fortunately, there are some people working on making thisdream a reality. Terrafugia is a U.S. company that will debut a roadableaircraft at this year’s New York Auto Show. The craft, called Transition, is a fixed wing personal aircraft that canfold its wings in and become a street legal automobile. This wouldn’t replaceyour car, although it can fit in a standard parking space, but it could replaceyour own personal aircraft if you had one. This craft also requires a runway,and since it flies, you have to have a pilot’s license and use an airport totake advantage of its flying capabilities. Given all of these limitations, itdoesn’t quite seem like the type of flying car we’d envisioned, though it is avery convenient option for those who love to fly.
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| Urban Aeronautics AirMule |
Also developing what they dub “fancraft” is Urban Aeronaticsin Israel. They develop Vertical-Takeoff-and-Landing (VTOL) utility aircraft inseveral different models. This looks more like we imagine – smaller craft, cantake off and land anywhere, no body roll when moving from side to side, and theblades are not exposed so there are no risk of losing your (or your neighbors)head. Problem is, this vehicle is intended to be primarily a search and rescueplane to go where helicopters cannot. Helicopters have great difficulty flying closeto buildings or mountains and the exposed blades make them dangerous to operatein tight spaces. The fancrafts produced by Urban Aeronautics can fly right nextto, between, or on top of structures. Also, since it has no body roll and muchmore stability, it can actually partially touch a surface on any side of thecraft without losing control. The cost of these is currently prohibitivelyexpensive for personal use, but they welcome future developments to make theirdesign more accessible to the masses.
What we’re really after is a PAV, or Personal Air Vehicle,but as it stands there are no tested vehicles that truly fit the bill.Thankfully, there are several companies out there with investors that have thesame dream we all do: to fly away from traffic jams and into the future. I’llhold on to my dream and hopefully we’ll see it become a reality within ourlifetime.
