Slashdot Mirror
Personal SUV of the Sky
BoomZilla writes "While
we're all waiting for the personal jet packs we were promised in the magazines
of our youth, another 'personal flying car' has entered the fray. The Taero 4000 will exist in the car/plane category, but will require a pilot's license and will operate from airports (...no lifting off from the back yard). The Taero has an interesting folding wing concept: '[the] wing fold system will enable automatic transformation from air to land travel with the wings folding to a position parallel with the fuselage'. The target base price for the Taero 4000, in assembly kit form, is $400,000 U.S. dollars (does not include assembly[!] or optional extras).
According to the site, 'Taero is scheduled for first delivery in 2007'. The
FAQ makes interesting reading. Competition for
Moller International's SkyCar?"
The Skycar goes 350 mph, and yet still gets way better gas mileage than my escort.
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!
..stay up longer than the Taero web site!!!
Call me old fashioned, but I like a dump to be as memorable as it is devastating - Bender
did anyone else instantly think of the Canyonero?
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!!!!
xao
xao
http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
Dueling vaporware.
does not include assembly[!] or optional extras
Wait a second... you mean parachute is an extra???
"You mortals are so obtuse." -Q
Looks like something from Spaceballs.
What next? A tacky van with wings driven by a dog?
Darwin will finally take care of SUV owners!!
I stole this Sig
I won't make the purchase unless I can lift off with a simple "go go gadget wings!"
What could be more annoying? The jetski of the sky, perhaps?
word.
Does it come with pods to drop the kids off at school?
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Arguably the funniest part of the site is What the experts say.
Among the massive pannel of international experts, you can choose from: The founder... uh, the founder... um, the founder... and, uh, the founder. Nope, that's about it. One expert. And that's the founder of the company.
They have, however discovered the secret of efficient flight: Vapour.
I get it - just like SUV owners never take their vehicles off-road, owners of these will never actually fly them.
"And this is my boy, Sherman. Speak, Sherman." "Hello." "Good boy."
Impressive performance specificaition. A pure airplane for $400,000 with 350 Knot performance 2500 ft/min climb rate, 61 Knot stall speed would blow the top right off the market. But it's a car too. TANSTAAFL - There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
We've seen the only product that will ever come out of this company - a cheesy web site.
Paul, private pilot, instrument & glider
I can get a date with that snobby Judy Jetson, my "ground" car just wasn't good enough.
Huh? The Tucker Torpedo has been around since 1947. Unfortunately, the automobile was ahead of it's time and the Big 3 (GM, Ford, Chrysler) ran Tucker out of business before it could really get going.
to sell to you.
I sense the niche market of people with $400k burning a hole in their pocket. I will get a Doctorate degree from one of those e-mails I keep getting. Then, I will get a picture of a Geo or Yugo and strap a sheet of plywood across the back of it with duck tape (all DIY's love duck tape)and only charge $395k.
Naturally, this is only in pre-prototype and Photoshop, but hey, there has to be at least one taker out there who will pay me for the hour I used to set up the web site. Two takers will even buy me the Geo for the prototype and four would allow me to fill it with gas and move to Hawaii.
Only drawback is the wing does not fold but disattaches at 50 mph on the highway. Part of the "extras" kit is 100 mph tape (much better than duck tape, but much more expensive...at least when priced as an option for my G Aero).
Oh yeah, since it is not even in prototype yet, its specs are: air speed is supersonic, air range is to moon and back, on road it goes 55 mph and 350 miles on one tank of gas.
You guys joke ... but this thing looks more likely to fly than the Taero or whatever.
Did anyone else see this on the website?
Maximum range: Air - 1200 nm
1200 nanometer?