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Boeing Working on Fuel Cell Aircraft

Posted by samzenpus on from the 12,000-AA-batteries-not-included dept.

"Boeing is working with development partners on a fuel cell-based small aircraft. It seems like a logical use of the technology. Now if they can come up with a quiet, personal-sized VTOL craft a la Paul Moller's Skycar (which is anything but quiet), we'll really have something." From the article "A Boeing research director was quoted as saying, "While Boeing does not envision that fuel cells will provide primary power for future commercial passenger airplanes, demonstrations like this help pave the way for potentially using this technology in small manned and unmanned air vehicles."

10 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Better hurry up... by kmac06 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I want my flying car by 2015.

    1. Re:Better hurry up... by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 2, Funny

      I realized that Popular Science had been lying to me about flying cars when the diesel powered typewriter they predicted never materialized.

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    2. Re:Better hurry up... by GFree · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm sure in 2015 plutonium is available at every corner drugstore, but in 2007 it's a little hard to come by.

  2. Skycar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Skycar is vaporware. It has been for the last 30 years. Please don't use the Skycar as a benchmark for anything but hype and failure.

    1. Re:Skycar by QuantumG · · Score: 1, Funny

      Unless you know of another way of lifting 2,000 lbs straight up in the air. Step 1: ask the 3 american passengers to hop out.
      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
  3. Bah. by rackhamh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Their heads are in the clouds on this one. This project will never fly. I bet it stalls and they never get it off the ground. It simply flies in the face of reason. That said, the sky's the limit when it comes to technological fantasy.

  4. time to educate the masses again... by Quadraginta · · Score: 4, Funny

    Go here and look at the nice picture on the right-hand side. Notice that the combustion takes place in the exhaust stream, heading out of the engine. Not inside a cylinder.

    Sounds like someone failed basic understanding-of-how-things-work class.

    Oh I agree, definitely.

  5. Another Lightning Rod..... by IHC+Navistar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Soon, the complete idiots who build their homes next to airports and then complain about all the noise will have another thing to whine about.

    --
    Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
  6. Re:giant rubber bands by Calinous · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ships and submarines have launching facilities for cruise missiles. They miss landing facilities for them, however.

  7. Re:Flying Cars. No thanks. by Manhigh · · Score: 2, Funny

    Flying Cars + GPS + central redundant navigation systems

    We'll have flying cars. People just wont be allowed to control them themselves, except for maybe an emergency landing mode.

    As a bonus, we could call the central control system 'Skynet'

    --
    "Open the pod by doors, Hal" > "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave" sudo "Open the pod bay doors, Hal" > alright