Flying Cars Are Not Best Vaporware That Never Was
Flying cars are looking very unlike the “best vaporware” that never gets off the ground from consumer electronics shows, according to an article published for the April 2016 issue of Popular Mechanics.
Cars as personal transportation modes that fly at low levels above the ground no longer belong to the dream world that never translates into practical reality. Alexander George, author of “The Fantastical, Highly Questionable, But Totally Exciting Future of the Flying Car,” considers the progression of drones from unmanned to manned vehicles. He describes a likely prototype at the annual Consumer Electronics Show held Jan. 6 to 9, 2016, in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada.
The electric-motored, 5-foot (1.52-meter-) high EHang 184, with an 18-foot (5.49-meter) wingspan and an emergency landing autopilot, enables one passenger to reach destinations 23 minutes away.
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Physical Address: EHang US, 1235 Radio Road, Suite 200, Redwood City, CA 94056
Telephone: +1 888-800-7056 (Canada, Mexico, US Customer Support PST 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday)
Website: http://ehang.com
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Comments
WriterArtist, Thank you for visiting and caring about the birds. Me too, I care about what flying cars may do to all the bird and insect (such as globe skimmers and Monarch butterflies) air lanes.
A fantasy coming true, although I have my doubts of traffic control and other viable stuff. However; they will definitely get the world decongested? Hope the flying cars do not end cluttering the space. For now, it is best to leave the space to our eco-friendly birds.
I wonder when and if we will see a flying car for every household. Sure price needs to go down.
katiem2, Thank you and Amen! Alexander George's article is convincing in its images and information. Traffic control pops up as a major concern, regarding bird lanes, high buildings and other drivers!
I want a flying car more and more, all we need is good traffic control.
blackspanielgallery, Well said! There's also the problem of coordinating lanes with drones and planes and keeping away from low-flying bird migration routes.
I see many challenges. Storms can flip small aircraft if not properly tied down. What kind of anchoring system would these need? And, at a destination they would take a lot of parking space. Would accidents be like plane crashes with explosions? Nice idea, but much needs to be worked out before going to the public.
katiem2, Alexander George is someone I respect in technology-related articles so if he sees something in flying cars, I do too. That said, I also respect Elon Musk, who facetiously or seriously says that flying cars are just another thing that can fall out of the sky and hit one on the head!
Flying cars certainly would help solve the issue of the decaying roadways and bridges around our country. Its one idea!!! Great insightful article.
sandyspider, Alexander George's article is a wonderfully illustrative and informative introduction, review and update on the possibility of a flying car in front of every garage.