Flying convertible?

In Slovakia a clever design now flies and drives. It is not electric…

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Brilliant.

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At least it will be easier for checking for rust underneath.

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It’s an impractical gimmick. A compromised design on both fronts. I’d rather drive a good car to an airfield and fly a good aeroplane.

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Totally agree. Can it even pass both (car and plane) sets of required safety tests?

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Agreed. Seems pointless, as it needs an airfield to both take off and land.
On top of that, have a think of the impact on the suspension during landing in anything other than perfect conditions and with a good pilot, and the probabilities of it grounding parts of the car.

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I agree with Paul and Rob.

Although one of many such attempts around the world in recent decades, I still think it is worthy of interest, simply because it seems better engineered than most I’ve seen before.

Borrowing an analogy from another thread, it is effectively at the stage a ZX81 was forty years ago (already obsolete), before PCs took off; a usable toy but not exactly a practical solution for modern life.

However, it does have an opening cockpit roof as well, almost a targa-top. I suppose this is an exit for a parachute escape - past the propeller!

Insurance call…
Ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello how may we help?”

“Well, ( gulp) I was cruising along in my BMW-Aircar when “BANG”…a pheasant hit me”

"Peasant did you say
“Is the damage bad?”

“It’s a wing only really.” No…pheasant I said."

“We do not fix birds”

“It’s my wing…on my plane”
Well, it’s a car as well…sort of…but it flies too you know.

What plane…you said BMW…
Which is it?
Are you drunk?
Go away…

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Henry Ford had a go early on for an everymans’ aircraft

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Won’t fit in my garage or on my driveway! :nerd_face:

The time and cost of obtaining a Private Pilot’s License puts getting a driving licence in perspective and means this is always going to be ‘niche’, apart from all the other practical considerations.
JS

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Agreed.

I had a go in a glider when in my last year at school. It was fantastic, except I had no idea where I was and could not navigate or steer or find any references. Fortunately the instructor was in charge!

Forty years later I had a brief few minutes steering a friends power boat on the Solent, same problem, even using the radar and on-screen map.

I have no problems navigating a car, but I’ll never be a pilot in air or on water!

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With all the stuff flying around at the moment, Commercial, Military, private aircraft, ditto helicopters add the micro-lights and drones, then add flying cars, result, an already overloaded air traffic control system unable to cope! A nightmare in the making if they became popular. Crash above, raining wheels and cogs!

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I don’t enjoy gliding at all but I have been up for a few flights in one of the RAF Grob Tutor trainers. Keeping it straight and level was hard enough but, like you, I found trying to navigate at the same time was seriously difficult. I can deal with maps at ground level, but using them from above is difficult. It seems odd as they are a plan view. Yes, good job the instructor was in charge!
JS

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I really enjoy gliders & powered and contemplated doing a PPL but decided I wouldn’t keep up the hours so other than the satisfaction of gaining the license it would have no ongoing benefit and couldn’t justify the cost. When I win the lottery however …

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It’s obvious it won’t be for everyone but personally I’d love a flying car.
It’ll take off on any long enough stretch of road. Modern SatNav’s will get you where you want to go (Garmin provide many systems for modern light aircraft).
Of course there will need to be training, legislation to do with flight levels, flight plans etc but that would come in time.
With advances in automated flight control systems the driver/pilot might be simply monitoring everything unless they actually wanted to take control.
Sadly for me at least it’s all coming too late but for younger bods the future’s bright :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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A VTOL version would dispense with the need of a runway. :thinking: :nerd_face: A large drone-like thing with a cockpit??? :thinking: :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: Hasn’t there been a picture of something like that in the news fairly recently, or is my memory playing tricks (again)? :thinking: :crazy_face:

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Chinese developers are working on manned drone type vehicles. Several prototypes have flown successfully.

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No footage of it taking off or landing, why?

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Looking at it driving off I could not help thinking that it had a superb over-the-top rear wing for a road car; it makes the usual little stick-on spoilers look like a coat of paint.

:grinning:

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