Where Are Our Flying Cars?
Imagine hopping in your sport two-seat car-copter, lifting off from your driveway, and leapfrogging over traffic snarls on your morning commute.
Technically, you still can’t do it. But the dream is getting closer. Ever since cars and airplanes were invented, smart people have struggled to mash up these modes of transportation.
Historical attempts at flying cars grafted wings onto small cars but weren’t really good at doing either thing very well. A few real flying cars have gone aloft over the years, but none have been ready for use by the masses.
Thanks to advancing drone and artificial intelligence technology, new flying car designs have overcome some of the hurdles. Tech innovators like Uber and Google are creating taxis for the sky, autonomous flying cars to ferry you to your destination.
Really, an autonomous flying taxi is probably a safer solution than letting people pilot their own airborne car. If you think texting and driving are dangerous now, imagine what it would be like at 5,000 feet.
Some flying cars will still require a pilot’s license as well as driver’s license, like the PAL-V Liberty and the Switchblade. Others will whisk you to your destination without human intervention.
Here’s a look at five flying cars currently under development:
Switchblade:
This is another true flying car attempt that uses a pusher prop to drive it through the air. With a 190-hp V-4, the Switchblade will cruise at 160 mph in the air and has a top speed of 125 mph on the ground. It’s classed as a motorcycle because of the three-wheel configuration. You drive it to and from an airport, swing the wings out and extend the tail in about three minutes. It has a useful range up to 450 miles and will fly up to 13,000 feet. Expect to pay $120,000 sticker price when the Switchblade hits the market.
Article written by: Gary Wollenhaupt
Originally published September 2018 on TireBuyer Blog
Posted in Cool Cars
