A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Piloting
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

flying car (again)



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 21st 09, 08:38 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Martin Hotze[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 63
Default flying car (again)

"make the transition today" - they say:
http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft.html

#m
  #2  
Old March 21st 09, 08:47 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
george
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 803
Default flying car (again)

On Mar 21, 7:38*pm, Martin Hotze wrote:
"make the transition today" - they say:http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft..html

#m


There was an item on TV about it.
The rate of climb left a LOT to be desired
  #3  
Old March 21st 09, 09:37 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
vaughn
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 93
Default flying car (again)


"george" wrote in message
...
On Mar 21, 7:38 pm, Martin Hotze wrote:
"make the transition today" - they
say:http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft.html


There was an item on TV about it.
The rate of climb left a LOT to be desired


Hmmm; I didn't even know it had flown. Their web page does not address
climb rate, but 50-foot clearance takeoff distance is listed at 1700',
which compares well to the 152's book value of 1820'.

Considering that they claim the final product will be light enough to
qualify as an LSA yet roadable, I am quite impressed so far. Given the
history of such projects, being impressed is not the same as predicting
success though.

Vaughn



  #4  
Old March 22nd 09, 03:00 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Orval Fairbairn[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 530
Default flying car (again)

In article
,
"vaughn" wrote:

"george" wrote in message
...
On Mar 21, 7:38 pm, Martin Hotze wrote:
"make the transition today" - they
say:http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft.html


There was an item on TV about it.
The rate of climb left a LOT to be desired


Hmmm; I didn't even know it had flown. Their web page does not address
climb rate, but 50-foot clearance takeoff distance is listed at 1700',
which compares well to the 152's book value of 1820'.

Considering that they claim the final product will be light enough to
qualify as an LSA yet roadable, I am quite impressed so far. Given the
history of such projects, being impressed is not the same as predicting
success though.

Vaughn


I think that they may be using a liberal amount of balonium in it to get
the claimed performance.

Just a cursory look at it comes up with lots of drag-producing
intersections and shapes.

--
Remove _'s from email address to talk to me.
  #5  
Old March 23rd 09, 09:16 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Robert M. Gary
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,767
Default flying car (again)

On Mar 21, 7:00*pm, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:
In article


I think that they may be using a liberal amount of balonium in it to get
the claimed performance.

Just a cursory look at it comes up with lots of drag-producing
intersections and shapes.


Once they add the required hundred pounds or so of DOT required
bumpers and crash worthiness structure I'd be surprised if it could
get off the ground in any category; much less LSA.

-Robert
  #6  
Old March 23rd 09, 09:32 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 22
Default flying car (again)

On Mar 23, 1:16*pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
On Mar 21, 7:00*pm, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:

In article
I think that they may be using a liberal amount of balonium in it to get
the claimed performance.


Just a cursory look at it comes up with lots of drag-producing
intersections and shapes.


Once they add the required hundred pounds or so of DOT required
bumpers and crash worthiness structure I'd be surprised if it could
get off the ground in any category; much less LSA.

-Robert


They won't need to add all that, as it will be classified as a
motorcycle for road use,
not a car.

Still, I won't predict any kind of success for it. Tools that are
designed to do multiple jobs
hardly ever do any job well.

Minimal performance in both roles and a target price of $200k, somehow
I expect the
market to be rather limited. I'd be amazed if they ever turn a profit
or even manage to
stay in business beyond making a handful of prototypes while burning
through all their
investors' money.

So says my crystal ball.

  #8  
Old March 23rd 09, 11:37 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Mike Ash
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 299
Default flying car (again)

In article
,
wrote:

Still, I won't predict any kind of success for it. Tools that are
designed to do multiple jobs
hardly ever do any job well.

Minimal performance in both roles and a target price of $200k, somehow
I expect the
market to be rather limited. I'd be amazed if they ever turn a profit
or even manage to
stay in business beyond making a handful of prototypes while burning
through all their
investors' money.

So says my crystal ball.


Yep, I agree. At that price, you can buy a better airplane, a better
car, *and* have enough money left over to rent better cars at your
destination airport for years and years.

I really don't understand the appeal of these "flying cars". A *real*
flying car, which can be flown by the average joe, and which can take
off and land in a typical driveway, now THAT would be something. But
this kind of hybrid car+airplane which you can drive on roads to an
airport, reconfigure, take off, land at another airport, reconfigure,
and drive away, I just don't get it. It's not *that* difficult to move
your stuff from one vehicle to another at the airport, and it certainly
saves no money to combine them.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon
  #9  
Old March 24th 09, 05:37 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Sylvain
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 400
Default flying car (again)

Mike Ash wrote:

off and land in a typical driveway, now THAT would be something. But
this kind of hybrid car+airplane which you can drive on roads to an
airport, reconfigure, take off, land at another airport, reconfigure,
and drive away, I just don't get it. It's not *that* difficult to move
your stuff from one vehicle to another at the airport, and it certainly
saves no money to combine them.


I understand the appeal having more often than not found myself in the
middle of nowhere at some remote airport without any kind of rental car or
ground transportation nearby; and flying mostly on weekends, I also found
out that, even when available, rental car companies tend to be closed on
sundays in such places (e.g., enterprise)... it might not be an issue if
you fly mostly to/from larger airports, but yes, it would be neat to have
some kind of workable (i.e., motorized and street legal) means of
transportation that I could bring along during such flights.

That said, I wouldn't want to expose an aircraft that I am flying to the
hazards of road traffic (a minor 'parking rash' could prove problematic if
it affects a flying surface... and you might not find out until you are
back in the air)

--Sylvain
  #10  
Old March 24th 09, 04:04 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Mike Ash
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 299
Default flying car (again)

In article ,
Sylvain wrote:

Mike Ash wrote:

off and land in a typical driveway, now THAT would be something. But
this kind of hybrid car+airplane which you can drive on roads to an
airport, reconfigure, take off, land at another airport, reconfigure,
and drive away, I just don't get it. It's not *that* difficult to move
your stuff from one vehicle to another at the airport, and it certainly
saves no money to combine them.


I understand the appeal having more often than not found myself in the
middle of nowhere at some remote airport without any kind of rental car or
ground transportation nearby; and flying mostly on weekends, I also found
out that, even when available, rental car companies tend to be closed on
sundays in such places (e.g., enterprise)... it might not be an issue if
you fly mostly to/from larger airports, but yes, it would be neat to have
some kind of workable (i.e., motorized and street legal) means of
transportation that I could bring along during such flights.

That said, I wouldn't want to expose an aircraft that I am flying to the
hazards of road traffic (a minor 'parking rash' could prove problematic if
it affects a flying surface... and you might not find out until you are
back in the air)


Makes sense to me, however I would guess that most of the time you could
find *somebody* to chauffeur you around if you tried real hard. It would
be expensive, but probably still not nearly as expensive as buying this
car/plane.

I can see some appeal in a *cheap* car/plane, but not at this price....

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Duxford Flying Legends 2008 - B-17 Flying Fortresses - 17/26 - dx08fl_b17_libertybelle_0713_2145.jpg (1/1) - 226 kb D. St-Sanvain Aviation Photos 0 July 17th 08 07:55 PM
Duxford Flying Legends 2008 - B-17 Flying Fortresses - 16/26 - dx08fl_b17_libertybelle_0713_2135.jpg (1/1) - 150 kb D. St-Sanvain Aviation Photos 0 July 17th 08 07:55 PM
Duxford Flying Legends 2008 - B-17 Flying Fortresses - 15/26 - dx08fl_b17_libertybelle_0713_2116.jpg (1/1) - 188 kb D. St-Sanvain Aviation Photos 0 July 17th 08 07:54 PM
Duxford Flying Legends 2008 - B-17 Flying Fortresses - 14/26 - dx08fl_b17_libertybelle_0712_1486.jpg (1/1) - 239 kb D. St-Sanvain Aviation Photos 0 July 17th 08 07:54 PM
Duxford Flying Legends 2008 - B-17 Flying Fortresses - 07/26 - dx08fl_b17_liberty_p51_velma_frankie_0713_2107b.jpg (1/1) - 206 kb D. St-Sanvain Aviation Photos 0 July 17th 08 07:54 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:19 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.