People have been predicting the coming of flying cars for decades. And it always seemed like such a distant future. Like something out of the Jetsons.
But we seem to be getting closer and closer each year. There is a constant barrage of prototypes that hit the press release wires each year that bring hope to all those dreaming kids that dream of a day when they’ll be able to fly their own vehicle.
But let’s face it, there are some practicality hurdles to overcome. First, there’s price. Any flying car that hits the market must be affordable if it hopes to sell with any reasonable volume. Next, there’s the fact that anybody who purchases a car that can fly also will need to be an able and licensed pilot. So that limits the market considerably. Let’s face it, there aren’t that many pilots out there.
The government have actually just recently approved a new “Sport Pilot” certification that allows for flying cars and is not as strict as a typical pilot license. Aviation schools are offering more affordable programs to certify these potential fliers.
The roadblocks aren’t discouraging all the entrepreneurs out there. The Maverick is manufactured by Beyond Roads and has a powered parachute, Subaru engine, and is not only actually street legal, but it’s also legal to fly as well. Price is somewhere around $84,000.
There are some MIT graduates that are collaborating on a flying car project called Transition. They claim to have orders for over 80 already and sale price is running around a quarter of a million dollars.
Then there’s the Pentagon’s Transformer. No, not quite like the movies with the robots. It’s an armored combat vehicle that can also fly.0 Sounds cool – huh? They expect to have a prototype by 2015. As with everything the government does, the price tag is not cheap. Expectations are for the final project to cost billions in R&D.
We just wonder what kind of Automotive Lift will be needed to lift these things.
Source – Smartmoney Magazine
I first heard of Terrafugia and that they have invented flying cars. Now, I read it here about the Maverick. I heard some big car companies are also developing their own flying cars. It’s a good news to hear all these things. I have been dreaming of flying cars since I was a kid. Too bad, flying cars are pretty expensive.