Slashdot Mirror
The End of Solotrek
bobetov writes "For those of us fed up with gravity and gridlock, the Solotrek XFV personal VTOL aircraft has been the real IT. A Segway is a nice scooter and all, but this thing can fly. But it all comes down to dollars in the end, and, with a recent test-flight accident and a missed milestone, Trek Aerospace is calling it quits."
Yes it is. And has been for years.
"A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
Thank god these aircrafts won't be on -or above- our roads anytime soon. It is difficult enough to drive in two dimensions. I would not want to be anywhere near such a craft when it runs out of fuel ;-)
where's all that Karma?
As far as being a member of the living population
In December of 2000, Trek Aerospace was awarded $5,100,000 in development funding from DARPA over a thirty-six month period.
WHAT? 5 million dollars??? People wonder why the budget of the US is in such disorray, and we're throwin 5 million dollars at a personal flight vehicle?
The Second:
What benefit would a personal flying machine have? Aren't something like 90% of the recorded aircraft fatalities a direct result of personally owned aircraft? Are we trying to increase the death rate?
The Third:
Look at the design, how the hell could you use this for defense? It looks to me like the hands would have to be constantly working on keeping the damned thing in the air, how the hell could you fire a weapon etc. with no hands?
Basically I see this as yet another clusterfuck of American tax dollars of entirely too well funded bureaucratic departments pissing money away. When is it exactly we're going to start acting like adults and not war happy mongers?
I commend DARPA for eliminating funding to this project, now what other bullshit programs can they cut?
Ignore the "p2p is theft" trolls, they're just uninformed
A loud sad sound was heard coming from the Darwin Awards website.
Unfortunately, it was just at first glance.
I'll just get a loan against my .com stock and...
These things wouldn't even work if they were all controlled by some kind of ubercomputer to keep them in line, nevermind if they were just go-n-fly's completely at the whim of the operator.
A list, if you will, of things I never wan't to see coming my way, especially from above, and a few other things I don't want to see, either.
1. Idiot hot rodders whamming around over your head and between the trees.
2. Slashdotters who had cracked the codes on the ubercomputer, going seriously against the grain.
3. Low maintainence goobers who won't keep their rig in proper flying order.
4. Bank robbers (or worse), fleeing the scene of the crime, guns blazing.
5. People who drop things.
6. Horny losers, staring at some girl's butt, from just below treetop level.
7. Idiots on the ground with guns pointed at the sky and a psychotic grin on their face.
8. The bad eyesight brigade, especially when near overhead powerlines.
9. People who forget to check the gas gauge before driving down to the store.
10. Folks altered chemically, including the chemical alcohol.
11. Heart attack victims.
12. People who all of a sudden regurgitate dinner, or perhaps didn't wear their depends.
13. Suicidal types (including the overly religious ones).
Thirteen's enough, yes?
Is it fascism yet?
> ariel urban combat
For a mermaid, she is one tough cookie.
> how the hell could you fire a weapon etc. with no hands?
Could she use her fin? The seashell bra?
They're just trying to cover up the fact that they've been bought out by COBRA, a ruthless international terrorist organization determined to rule the world!
Want proof? Here it is! They've got blueprints and everything.
---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?
I choose to belive that the plastic, and thin metal frame will protect me from any danger, including a renegade prop, thank you very much.
In case of rebuttal, I will now put my hands over my ears and loudly say "LA LA LA LA..."
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on