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Street Legal Flying Car Unbelievably Close to Reality

gizmodo.com — Unlike so many other pie-in-the-sky tech masturbation fantasies masquerading as projects that'll see the light of day, Terrafugia's Transition flying car amazingly looks like it really will go on sale next year, as its creators claimed three years ago. Gregory Mone from Pop Sci even got to sit in the $194,000 car, which is basically "a single-engi

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 9, 2008

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  • jjremy, on 10/09/2008, -0/+75Roads? Where we're going we don't need "roads".
  • shoelace414, on 10/09/2008, -2/+52As someone on the link said..

    It's not a flying car, it's a driveable airplane. If you have a private pilots license, you could fly across the state, and land at a general avaition airport, then you could drive to your destination without having to rent a car. Plus the weather couldn't prevent you from going home. you could drive instead of waiting for the weather to clear up.
  • AgentMull, on 10/09/2008, -2/+44I just hope Top Gear demos one. That would be the perfect intro. Have Captain Slow and his pilots license fly it in on the runway, review it, then fly it out again.
  • zvoidx, on 10/09/2008, -2/+35"Street Legal Flying Car Unbelievably Close to Reality"

    What could possibly go wrong?!
  • inactive, on 10/09/2008, -0/+30When I think FLying Car, I think something along the lines of Back to the Future, Blade Runner, Fifth Element, etc. Not just a small plane with fold-up wings. This reminds me of the videos on youtube of people building small wind-powered hovercrafts, standing on them, and calling them a hoverboard. It's not the same on any level. A flying car will need to:
    1- Take off and land vertically, without so much of an air gust it would blow away your shingles.
    2- Have an autopilot that does most of the flying, most people don't drive well in 2-d, how well will they do in 3d?
    3- Be very quiet. I wouldn't want to live anywhere near a guy who's car was a loud as a helicopter.
    4- Be incredibly fuel efficient. It costs probably $1000 to fuel the smallest jet. This won't work for everyday errands.

    Yes, this is a fantasy, but let's call things what they are. This is not a street legal flying car, but a street legal small plane. Sensationalist headline should read: Small Plane with Foldable Wings is Street Legal
  • mediahaze, on 10/09/2008, -0/+22All I can think about is taking off over rush hour gridlocks on the way home :P
  • jordanmoore, on 10/09/2008, -2/+23That car makes me want to commit crimes and fly away whenever the cops pull me over.

    Mwahaha! You can run but you cannot glide!
  • zadadka, on 10/09/2008, -1/+21"street legal" ?
    Where?
  • Clippit, on 10/09/2008, -1/+20Jeremy would then come in with an incisive comment comparing it to a scrotum.
  • brandita, on 10/09/2008, -1/+17Maybe 2015 will be like Back to the Future 2 after all.
  • Tddupre, on 10/09/2008, -1/+15Cheaper And Better,but not driveable
    30 Hour Training
    $100k
    http://www.iconaircraft.com/
  • raynar, on 10/09/2008, -0/+13people can barely change lanes, now they have to look up and down?

    There will never be flying cars. Ever.
  • UberNick, on 10/09/2008, -2/+14Can you imagine folding out the wings on the freeway during an OJ-style car chase? After these come out, I'm anticipating the best bank-robbery getaways ever!
  • JBabin3xB, on 10/09/2008, -2/+12this isn't sexy
  • jmiller29, on 10/09/2008, -1/+10Finally. I'm so tired of Moller's empty promises.
  • Chairboy, on 10/09/2008, -1/+10Where would she throw the air?
  • captaindigger, on 10/09/2008, -0/+8Only if the Cubbies beat Miami in the World Series.
  • inactive, on 10/09/2008, -1/+9good luck finding insurance...
  • Dubbsacc, on 10/09/2008, -0/+8You usually crawl before you walk.
  • Greengoo, on 10/09/2008, -0/+8As someone raised in a family of private pilots, there is ALWAYS a freaking airport near where you want to go, trust me.
  • chrisemc, on 10/09/2008, -1/+8It's all fun and games until someone crashes into my house on their way home from the pub.
  • Charlotte_Web, on 10/09/2008, -1/+8Getting out to unfold the wings manually is actually a GOOD thing, though... before every flight, you want to visually inspect every flight surface for missing screws & rivets, cracks, and other problems. Being able to deploy the wings from within the car is going to encourage people NOT to do a pre-flight check, and you'll probably see a higher than average accident ratio with this car.

    If you have to take off and land at the airport, anyway, you're probably better off buying the car you really want and a dedicated aircraft like a Cessna.

    I think the flying car that everyone REALLY wants is one that can do VTOL from your driveway.
  • Shiva11, on 10/09/2008, -7/+14Women are already bad at driving. We don't need them flying.
  • KingGorilla, on 10/09/2008, -0/+7until the police force gets some. High speed aerial chases! FTW!
  • WNW3, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6Someone is a bit defensive...
  • SoundFondler, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7Can't imagine its a Prius on the fuel consumption front though.....
  • inactive, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7All I see while driving is stupid bitches texting while driving. Just what we need a bunch of people with no business driving flying over my house.
  • igyigyigy, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6Better than the guy in the inner tube?
  • Garofoli, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7Where do I get one?
  • azhura, on 10/09/2008, -1/+7Dugg for mentioning Top Gear which rocks!
  • elperegrino, on 10/09/2008, -0/+6what street? flying.
  • BigPapi, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5It takes premium gas.
  • LilPuke, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5I'd bet you could find it at Hammacher Schlemmer.
  • HereticKings, on 10/09/2008, -2/+7No, he's not the one who has to get over himself... after seeing your defense of poor spelling, I through up in my mouth a little.
  • Chairboy, on 10/09/2008, -1/+6That's like saying a car is impractical unless everywhere you want to go has a road close to it. If it was a practical roadable, meaning that it could drive on the road fine, then you just fly to the closest airport (there are thousands in the US alone) and drive the rest of the way. You arrive at Yosemite or wherever by car like usual, it's just that you skipped a few hundred miles of road along the way.
  • Dipster, on 10/09/2008, -1/+6Damn.. You know some homeboy is going to put spinnerz on that thing...
  • inactive, on 10/09/2008, -0/+5What are you doing on the computer when my shirt is still dirty???
  • svendm, on 10/09/2008, -1/+6Flying car? When those wings aren't folded up, I think the thing looks suspiciously plane-like.
  • nyx210, on 10/09/2008, -2/+7I can totally imagine some drunk idiot falling out of the sky and smashing through my bathroom.
  • KaJuN4, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4We can dream but most likely this flying car will be ambitious but rubbish.
  • Thuktun, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4What Dubbsacc said, plus...

    "Have an autopilot that does most of the flying, most people don't drive well in 2-d, how well will they do in 3d?"

    Today's "flying car" prototypes are basically airplanes that can drive on the street legally.

    You're not going to get to fly one without a pilot's license.
  • psion01, on 10/09/2008, -0/+4Dammit, zvoidx, you just jinxed us all!
  • kelstock, on 10/09/2008, -5/+9Very cool, but impractical -unless everywhere you want to go has a runway close to it. Needs VTOL capabilities for mass use and you wont get that with a single prop aircraft.
  • subliminalurge, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3Yeah, I'm sure a company that's invested all this money in developing an airplane has just completely overlooked FAA regulations as something they should look into.

    You might want to email them and give them a heads up. I'm sure they'll appreciate it.
  • Roagie, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4Totally Impractical List:
    1) need a pilot's license
    2) have to take off and land at an airport
    3) flight fuel costs
    4) imagine that thing in a car accident... its light-body construction = instant disintegration.
  • Nothlit, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3Since when does "street legal" mean "airworthy"?
  • Tddupre, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3yea b/c every1 has 200k to spend on a plane, flight lessons, aviation fuel, and the insurance.
  • inactive, on 10/09/2008, -1/+4Honestly, the FAA will never allow this to become a reality in the US. Have you looked into the certification process for an aircraft? It is prohibitively expensive even for companies like Cessna and Piper. That is the reason that the airframe of 172's and Cherokee's haven't changed since the 60's - even the slightest modification would require a complete recertification process that costs literally millions. Even Supplemental Type Certificates are a beating. Heck, even the Experimental/Homebuilt category is too stringent, in my opinion.

    The FAA would have an absolute field day with this "flying car".

    But, damn, I'm drooling right now just imagining how stinkin' cool it would be. Geez....
  • inactive, on 10/09/2008, -0/+3that doesn't even make any sense
  • AgentMull, on 10/09/2008, -3/+6You really have to read the article in PopSci this month to get it. Its not meant to be the next wave of transportation. Its meant to be a competitor for the buyers of Porsches, Lambos, Zondas etc. You can buy a nice Lexus and a Cessna for what this thing costs.
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