Flying car gets FAA approval..

[kouasupra]

Looks like the future of flying car is near. Gets 460 miles, and speed up to 115mph. Set to deliver in 2011.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...lane_rece.html
http://content.usatoday.com/communit...from-the-faa/1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38007469...ce-innovation/

Here's the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smGmrpn2Vrk

[Super Z]

Too cool.

[evanson_1984]

lOOKS awesome

[H2O~Boy]

I gotta say that's pretty cool.
Does anyone else think some people might "take flight" while driving down the hwy?
Say goodbye to rush hour traffic

[Slasher5225]

People have already tried that, just backwards! (landing) only its mainly on I-81 here that people attempt to land on

[CraigV]

I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing - this can only end badly. How many crashes/injuries/deaths will it take before the plug is pulled on the whole idea?

[H2O~Boy]

Well considering it will cost $200K, I doubt just anyone is gonna have one. The people that fly it will most likely know their way around a plane already. It requires 20 hours of flight training before you can buy it anyways.
And if there happens to be a lot of injuries/ deaths i'm sure the FAA will just put a restriction on who can buy it/ how much training you need.

[Braydan]

This is old news and won't ever take off lol
I remember watching something on tv a while back about a car/plane very similar to this that was successfully built and flown 20+ years ago. I don't think the wings folded up on that one but rather could be bolted to the car in a matter of minutes. I believe it was produced in the early 80's

[Braydan]

Have you guys seen the car that can drive under water?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwStj...=youtube_gdata

[FujativeOCR]

Well considering it will cost $200K, I doubt just anyone is gonna have one. The people that fly it will most likely know their way around a plane already. It requires 20 hours of flight training before you can buy it anyways.

You don't know very many rich airplane owners do you...

And 20 hours is nothing.

[H2O~Boy]

You don't know very many rich airplane owners do you...

And 20 hours is nothing.

Exactly my point. "rich airplane owners" meaning they have flying experience already. It won't just be some person off the street who will be able to afford one. If you can afford it, most likely you will be experienced in flying already.

[FujativeOCR]

No again. You've missed my point. I know some rich airplane owners. Many of them don't know jack about flying. Their money and the equipment they can afford to get their hands on makes them very dangerous people.

Money =/= experience

[H2O~Boy]

So how is this flying car going to be any different than a plane? If they can afford one regardless of their experience they will have one. The same goes for normal planes now, if they can afford it they will have it.
Considering this flying car is supposed to be safer than planes, it can't be any worse than rich inexperienced owners are now. If anything it'll be better. Just my .02

[FujativeOCR]

Someone that can afford to have one of these can also afford a private jet that goes or can go in the upper 600's MPH. Not to mention the private jet leaves the private air port and any given time in about 1 hour notice. This thing can only fly at 115 MPH and for only about 3.5 hours at that before it needs to land and re-fuel. Owners of private jets will be at there destination hours before this thing gets there, and more comfortable at that lol.

Dont get me wrong, I think the thing is cool as heck. Im just being "real" about it at 200K.

747's cruise at about 540 mph. It would take a **** of a tailwind to get in the 600 range.

Also jets can't just leave with hardly any notice. They have to plan a route, file a flight plan, get that approved by ATC, and then if the weather is less than nice visual conditions, they need a clearance, which depending where they are coming or going, could be delayed at the will of ATC.

If this car only costs $200,000k, then it will be within reach of people that couldn't afford an Eclipse Jet, one of the Cheaper Private Jets. A 6 Seater that can only fly around 1000-1100 miles I believe, probably can't even carry 6 if they want it to fly that far. That jet costs around $1 Million.

A benefit of the car, would be getting into places Jets couldn't go. It's small size, light weight and slow speed probably allows it to land in very short distances. I'm sure it burns alot less fuel than a jet too, thus being even more inexpensive.

The problem is alot of people that suddenly come into money buy airplanes and they have very little real world experience to fly them. I know a guy in Phoenix that had a Cessna Twin Comanche. A Turbine Twin Engine that seats 6. He also had a Mercedes SL500 for a daily driver and a Ferrari F430 for nice days. He was the most dangerous and spacey pilot I've ever met in my life, and he flew that thing all over the place just to get lunch. He would takeoff and just go direct to his destination, and had been cited enough times for airspace violations to fill a novel. This is the kind of rich guy that will probably buy/fly one of these cars.