Long before Flubber or Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, humans dreamed of flying cars. Perhaps the desire to soar heavenward is grounded in the God-given gift of ingenuity. Perhaps we’re created to seek what lies beyond the bounds of Earth. Now the dream is coming closer to reality.
In the 1920s, Henry Ford experimented with a single-seat aeroplane. “Mark my words,” predicted the automotive titan. “A combination airplane and motorcar is coming.”
Ford’s 1926 flying car experiment was the Flivver. The 15-foot aircraft never went into production due mainly to the tragic death of the plane’s test pilot.
Today nearly a dozen companies worldwide are competing to bring small aircraft to the masses. These “flying cars” would allow commuters to glide far above traffic snarls and road rage.
Some prototypes (early models) look like automobiles with wings. Most aren’t cars. They’re more like mini-helicopters. They take off and land straight up and down—a process called VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing).
Rather than one large main blade, VTOL vehicles have multiple small ones. Battery-powered electric motors run the blades.
Some of the new aircraft are basically large drones. Passengers will be able to program them using a smartphone. Others will require ground operation.
But before you sign up for flying car lessons, you should know that there are many obstacles to the technology.
One problem is battery life. Engineers must develop longer-lasting lightweight batteries. Today’s batteries would keep an air taxi aloft for only 15-30 minutes—not long enough to transport passengers very far.
There will need to be landing pads to handle lots of aircraft at the same time—not to mention a new air traffic control system.
Reducing noise is another challenge. Air taxis would need to take off and land in densely populated areas.
Getting Federal Aviation Administration approval will be a hurdle too. Even small aviation regulation changes sometimes take years to go into effect. Still, the FAA says it is “flexible” and “open-minded” about flying cars.
John Hansman chairs the FAA’s research and engineering advisory committee.
“There’s no question we can build the vehicle,” Hansman says. “The big challenge is whether we can build a vehicle that would be allowed to operate in the places where people want to use it.”
Despite the problems, entrepreneurs and engineers keep working. They see a huge market for air taxis and personally owned small aircraft. They also think it’s possible—if not certain—to achieve a workable air taxi vehicle and system within 15 years.
Would "Dubai One"?
If flying cars can indeed take off anywhere, it would be in the incredibly oil-rich city-state of Dubai. Money flows freely for all sorts of fantastic projects. And money is flowing into a passenger-carrying drone project based on the Chinese-made EHang 184.
Is the egg-shaped, four-legged craft a serious solution to car-clogged transportation problems of Dubai? Or is it another attention-grabbing curiosity? Mattar al-Tyler, head of Dubai’s transportation agency, claims the drone is for real. “This is not only a model,” he insists. “We have actually experimented with this vehicle flying in Dubai’s skies.”
In fact, the goal is to have the single-passenger drones regularly buzzing through the cityscape by July. Du you bai that?
EHang 184
• 8 propellers
• battery power for 30 minutes
• range: 30 miles
• speed: top 100mph, cruising 60mph
• capacity: 220lbs
• touchpad for choosing destination
