How will the skycar affect transportation as we know it?

[A Squared]

" Not much structure around you .... you want to drive something that flimsy in traffic"

Ever heard of a smart car? People all over the world are driving them. They make a J-3 look like an AN-225.

Yeah, I've heard of them, even seen them. Big difference. the smart car weighs 1600 lb, that is a *LOT* more structure than a 890 lb car. Even at that I think the... "what happens when I get rearended at a stop light by a suburban"... factor will keep a lot of people from considering a smart car, even though it's going to offer a great deal more crash protection than an airplane.

The thing about the MIT project is that its not claiming a bunch of mystery break-throughs and secret sauce. MIT is using modern materials and engineering in a novel way.

First thing, it's not an "MIT" project. it is a group of people, some of whom have degrees from MIT, some of whom do not. Some of them put together the concept as a class design project when they were students at MIT. They won the prize for "best design project" or something like that. Dizzyed by winning hte science fair, they formed a company to actually engineer and build thier design. MIT is not making an airplane.

There is no reason the MIT project can't succeed.

Well it depends on what you mean by succeed. If by succeed you mean build a prototype which will fly and will drive on the road with it's wings folded, I agree, there is no reason they can't do that. It has alreadey been proven, repeatedly, that you *can* build a car that flies, It's been proven that you can even get it certificated. It has also been proven that beyond the novelty, nobody actually wants to buy one.

How many more times do we need to prove these things?

 

[JimNtexas]

" How many more times do we need to prove these things?"

Of course since the Wright Brothers built an airplane that could take off and fly around a field carrying two people, it was crazy for the [SIZE=-1]Klapmeiers to start Cirrius.

I don't know if the MIT GRADS 'science project' will be a commerical success, but I'm glad there are still Americans out there who are willing to try crazy things.

My original point was that the MIT roadable airplane should in no way be compared to certain projects that have a 20 year history of taking investor money to construct a highly dubious vehicle that would require many major breakthroughs to even get off the ground.

One is a reasonable application of existing technology. The other isn't.
[/SIZE]

 

[Shiny Side Up]

I'm picturing talking to some Suzie homewrecker on her cellphone and in the background all you can hear is TRAFFIC! TERRAIN! SINK RATE! WHOOP WHOOP, PULL UP!

You guys are kidding me with this 100% automation. Would YOU strap into something with ZERO manual overrides?
What if the backup system fails?
Imagine your cruising along and the screens go dark, you gonna make a call to tech support in India? "Thenk you for calling, my name is Duke Rajeev, please hold. You are number 237"

 

[414Flyer]

Do you realize how long these Moller projects have been in the classifed ads section of Popular Science/Mechanics, and how its always just around the corner.

I think I have seen those Moller ads for 20 years now or so. Anyone who thinks some Moller wonder car is about to take flight, might need to also buy some gas pills, collidal silver for every illness, or some chemtrail videos.

 

[flyinloki]

This thing was in Popular Science like 10 years ago. Doesn't look like its gotten very far.

 

[leardawg]

I'm picturing talking to some Suzie homewrecker on her cellphone and in the background all you can hear is TRAFFIC! TERRAIN! SINK RATE! WHOOP WHOOP, PULL UP!

You guys are kidding me with this 100% automation. Would YOU strap into something with ZERO manual overrides?
What if the backup system fails?
Imagine your cruising along and the screens go dark, you gonna make a call to tech support in India? "Thenk you for calling, my name is Duke Rajeev, please hold. You are number 237"

How much resistance was there a little over a century ago to climbing into a carriage without a horse and motoring around in it? Or to climbing into one of them flying contraptions a hundred years ago? Each generation adopts its' own faith and comfort with new technology. I would likely hesitate with climbing into an automated flying pod, but my grandkids? Quite likely not.

 

[Bluto]

Anyone who thinks some Moller wonder car is about to take flight, might need to also buy some gas pills, collidal silver for every illness, or some chemtrail videos.

Maybe you should add magic, life-extending almond butter. They can order it here, from the same guy who's going to bring you the SkyCar!:
http://www.moller.com/about/history/lifeext/

 

[unreal]

I'd also love to see people actually keep up on maintenance on one of these things. Many people on the road don't even maintain their cars properly, so what's going to convince them to drop a lot more money for required FAA inspections and maintenance?

Not gonna happen. People will be skimping on maintenance left and right, and that's bad juju.

 

[414Flyer]

Sometimes there are companies who are less about about actually making a product, and more about making money from the investments.

A case in point is American Utilicraft in my opinion. They have an aircraft design, but nothing built, and are not worth much at all. They almost got the Navajo nation to invest 34 million, in exchange for %25 percent ownership of the company. A company that is and was worth, far far far less than that.

The way the contract was written, even if utilicraft went bust and didnt make a single plane, the original owners of it would walk away with millions.
Either way, they were gonna make out, they just needed investors.

Moller probably uses investors money for his income. While I am sure he would love to actually get it to fly, either way, he has a job and money

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

You guys are kidding me with this 100% automation. Would YOU strap into something with ZERO manual overrides?
What if the backup system fails?
Imagine your cruising along and the screens go dark, you gonna make a call to tech support in India? "Thenk you for calling, my name is Duke Rajeev, please hold. You are number 237"

Nice racists remark.

and yes, I would ride in one. Show me an order of magnitude increase in
safety, and I'll fly in it tomorrow.

You'll get in one too, as soon as it's trendy.

CE