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A Flying Leap for Cars?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the RSN dept.

pillageplunder writes "Businessweek has a story about flying cars and how they could be an actual viable thing in less than 10 years. First flying taxis, then, like the Jetsons, personal flying cars. Several are already on the board, with Honda and Toyota already having prototypes of small flying devices. Even General Electric is getting in on the deal, developing a small jet engine for Honda. So...would you buy one?"

6 of 795 comments (clear)

  1. Maintenance checks by Yer+Mom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Given how many people never bother to check water, oil etc until they break down at the side of the road, I really hope these cars will run full diagnostic checks before they let you start them...

    --
    Never mind Spamassassin. When's Spammerassassin coming out?
  2. Drunk Flyers? by tbcpp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can see the headlines now: "200 people killed when drunk driver collides with office building". If we have problems with people staying on the road in a car, what will it be like if they can fly?

    --
    Man is the lowest-cost, 150-pound, nonlinear, all-purpose computer system which can be mass-produced by unskilled labor.
  3. Re:SUVs by grub · · Score: 5, Insightful


    The US Department of Homeland Security will never allow flying cars. Imagine trying to stop terrorists with cars full of diesel/fertilizer mix able to attack from all angles. Tinfoil hattish, sure, but that's how those brownshirts think.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  4. We have been fantisizing about flying cars... by a_nonamiss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We have been fantisizing about flying cars for generations, but in reality, are they ever going to be practical? Sure, you can go faster without all the resistance from the tires, but it takes a hell of a lot of energy to keep such a heavy object in the air. In the Jetsons, we had this notion that somehow we'd be able to overcome gravity and the cars would just float, but to date there's no evidence for such technology. For now, we have to blow a bunch of air down and the corresponding reaction is that the car stays up. Not very efficient for travelling.

    I hate to be the skeptic, because I would love to be able to fly to work, but I don't see it being practical in our lifetimes.

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    -Arthur
    Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
  5. Re:Great idea, but... by drinckes · · Score: 5, Insightful
    imagine what some terrorists with flying cars could do?

    So what is the essential difference between that and, oh, I don't know, say, a plane?

    Anyone who wants to take a small light aircraft up (and has one/rents one and has a licence) can pretty much go for it.

    Flying cars aren't going to raise your danger from terrorists (which is incredibly small anyway). Crap drivers crashing into your house - now that's a different matter.

  6. Re:Exactly by linzeal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There will never be anything but autopilot in the civilian models. Also because of that there will be no licensing in the sense we have today. If you are rich enough your children will be able to use it for pre-programmed routes to school, the cinema, and the like.

    --
    An Education is the Font of All Liberty