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Will This Flying Car Get Crowdfunded?
cartechboy (2660665) writes "We all just have too much money on our hands, and we really want a flying car, right? Well that's what Skylys thinks, as it's trying to crowdfund a flying car. According to its website, 'In detail we aim to create an urban dual-mode, hybrid flight and electric drive motorized vehicle that fits into sustainable mobility.' How much money does it need? Oh about $3,111,075. Apparently the company has run out of money and needs more to 'start construction on our two prototypes to confirm our technical specifications; pay the chaps in the legal department; industrial engineers and take up occupancy of our future offices in Silicon Valley, where our backers can of course pay us a visit.'"
They had me until "paying the lawyers."
Points for looking like the Jetson's car.
only interesting to nerds who live in an absolute fantasy world. these projects are dumb
Perhaps if they posted about their product on well know tech blogs with links to contribute then maybe it will work.
Does it have gattling guns? Can it be used for urban pacification? Does it have stealth technology?
If not ... well, you're just another in a long line of people hoping to create a flying car.
Many of us have long since relegated the idea into the long-since cliche bucket. And since I don't trust most people to drive in the mostly 2 dimensions offered by cars ... I really don't trust most people with a z axis.
If you want to save money, here's a hint ... don't get offices in Silicon Valley before you've got a product.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
In bigger cities, such a contraption would have to be computer-controlled to reduce the risk of human error to an acceptable level. But perhaps if something gets going in a rural area, investments in city-friendly control infrastructure will follow. Thus, it doesn't have to start out being city-ready; it just has to start out (and gain usage).
Something like NASA's vertical-takeoff Puffin design sounds like the way to go for those without big yards or landing spots. Although, that's not really a "car". But "mass commuter planes" is close enough. 2D traffic sucks here; time to up-grade.
Table-ized A.I.
for a flying car. It would have wings and a compartment for people to sit. I figured that people would need a place to takeoff and land, long strips of asphalt should do the trick. Then I figured that with all these flying cars going over people's houses, it might be a good idea to come up with some kind of rules that people should follow to ensure they don't run into each other mid flight. Perhaps this could be regulated by the government somehow as a sort of traffic control, but in the air. Next I thought it may be a good idea to just leave our flying cars at a hangar next to these strips of asphalt so we don't have the added fuel costs of trucking around those large wings. If that's the case then we could make the wings fixed and don't have to worry about space on normal roads. If we got good enough at making these vehicles then we could make them larger and even so large as to have multiple stories of passenger compartments. They could rent out space for trips back and forth between different strips of asphalt in different cities. The fact that they might be difficult to drive/fly may indicate we'd need a sort of licensing system to only allow qualified people to fly them since failure may result in catastrophe. Over time I'd imagine the safety would far surpass that of traveling between cities in a normal car. I don't know not a very good idea, but one can dream!
I mean them Duke boys won't have enough breath left, it would be all "Yeeeeeeeee" and no "Haw"
And what then I ask you what. then.
1) Silicon valley? No. There's talent in Silicon Valley, but it's expensive as hell. $3.1M to build a functional prototype? In Silicon Valley that won't pay the phone bill.
2) They don't have a prototype and htey want $3M? Nope. Find another way, prove your tech first.
3) More like a helicopter than an aeroplane? Nope. Airplanes are MUCH easier to fly than a helicopter; the average person cannot do this.
4) Flying cars? No. Never ever ever will the FAA allow such a thing. This is chasing a market that doesn't exist. The one and only sole market for a flying car is government vehicles only with highly trained operators, so EMTs, Police, Firemen, etc. Maybe a heavily regulated expensive taxi service but even then highly unlikely. I've never seen one with the lift capacity to come close to being a freight hauler or even a bus; 2-4 people seems to be the max.
Current status: "€140 raised of €2,250,000 goal".
The thing is, it's quite possible to build a flying car. The prototypes of the 1950s make that clear. The world needs some good small VTOL craft. But none of the people doing it seem to be able to bring it off.
Small jet engines cost too much but can make VTOL work. Wankel engines (the Moller embarassment) or electric motors and batteries (this thing) don'tt have the power/weight ratio needed to do it well. It's probably quite possible to build a battery powered VTOL today, but the flight time will be a few minutes, like quadcopters.
You can see it from a mile off.
Right question: "Will This Flying Car Get Off the Ground?" As in, "Will This Flying Car Ever Make a Profit?"
Just like all others before it, no.
As (I believe) George Carlin once said- "Everyone going faster than you is a maniac- *zoooooom* "Look at this maniac!", and everyone going slower than you is a moron- "Aw geez, look at this moron! *honk, honk*."
Now, do you want all these maniacs and morons flying above your house?!? I sure as heck don't.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is why 'Flying Cars' will never happen.
Well, they are good for a laugh sometimes at least.
That they are looking for 'cool offices' in silicone valley tells me they are probably not going to spend any money they get all that wisely... which might be why they do not have enough.
It doesn't matter if it gets funded because it won't get built. If it flies, it's controlled by the FAA, and you'll be required to have a pilot's license to fly it. Not only that, but even if it has vertical take off you'll still have to take off from an airport or other helicopter pad or some other designated area. Your neighbours aren't going to stand for the sound of propellers spinning up every morning so you can fly off to work. And spinning props aren't very safe with kids and pets around. If you have to go to the airport and fly from there, and land at another airport, you might as well just drive to the airport, get in a real plane (rented most likely to save money), and then rent a car at your destination. There is simply no reason for a flying car to ever happen.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
That would make for one interesting police chase! Just imagine the look on their face when their perp pops out some wings and fucking flies away.
Are you saying this project can't get off the ground?
Table-ized A.I.
A hovering car certainly has applications. It would require less expensive roads and would be, in principle, much more self driving than a car on wheels. It would have to be as it will likely be difficult to control purely by human means. But a flying car. We essential have those. You just need a pilots license and have begin and end locations near an airfield for takeoff and landings. Of course air fields are not nearly as prolific as they used to be.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
Until we have systems that automatically fly a vehicle, this is never going to happen. You think the roads are bad...just wait till all the idiots can ...fly? Right...
I would be willing to invest in those automated system though.
I'm pretty sure you CAN do it standing up.
When the material sciences are to the point where a lightweight container can sustain Earth atmospheric pressure from crushing down on it, we'll have a practical way to take off vertically without prompting your neighbours to invest in surface to air missiles when you crank the engine on one of these in the morning on your daily commute.
Nope.
Ok, you get all the issues resolved. Then comes the physics and economics... so you get your Mr. Fusion to power all these flying cars from bits of trash thrown into the affordable reaction chamber, then you have to find a way to transform all that waste heat the things are going to give off in huge amounts times the number of cars. Remember, nothing is going to be 100% efficient and anything using propellers... Then you have the majority of horizontal movement energy wasted because after 60mph most of that is put into pushing against the wind...
All this so you can save some money and time on roads? It takes almost nothing by comparison to roll you around on the ground at slower speeds. We have troubles funding the cheap individual vehicles today... or at least people complain a whole lot about the costs and it's not so bad that we are driving at half speed to save on gas which costs less than bottled water.... but the energy costs for flying are just much greater.
Insurance... imagine the insurance... and all the GM recalls not performed...because the death toll doesn't cost them enough $ (and the likely continuation of tort reform means they can afford even more damage.)
Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
If you think it costs a lot to develop and build a flying car, wait until you find out how much it costs to change the FAA regulations.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
They say *they* letting us have a chance of being part of aviation history. Looks more like they are begging *us* to fund some serious hc shit project.
Honestly, why don't they just try to sell the idea to one of the major helicopter companies?
Also, if they want funding, they are going to need more than CGI to prove how far they are going to come, they will have to do something to prove the challenges they have overcome and that the idea is even viable at all.
The same applies to all projects so far put forward: they will always be too expensive for the average user and, more critically, they rely on technologies that make them, for all practical purposes, airplanes that can be driven on a road. Flying cars will become a reality only when the following conditions are met:
1) A technology that allows the devices to stay aloft under all conditions. What we see in movies and all that seems to be sort of antigravity or magnetic levitation technology. The former would only happen following a fundamental revolution in our understanding of physics, and the latter is not likely to fulfill the aspirations depicted in movies. We could of course achieve something similar with the equivalent of hot air balloons - but this is ridiculous as many of the futuristic ideas aired in the 19th century.
2) A new and phenomenal source of energy. Not the stuff we already know about (solar, nuclear, etc.) but something again deeply connected with a future understanding of physics.
Ergo flying cars are not coming into your neighborhood any time soon, if ever.
I'll believe in this when the car flys.
FTA. The $3M is to move them to Silicon Valley. No prototypes, nothing tangible. Basically they want a bunch of chumps to fund moving them to SV where they can blow the money and then say "Sorry we have to close".
So, Indiegogo flexible funding campaign? I.e. they get money even if the campaign doesn't meet the goals? 4 years in development and nothing to show on the project page apart from a few renders that any kid can do in a day in 3DS Max or Blender? They throw big names like DASSAULT or Airbus around, ostensibly as being interested, but they need a few millions on Indiegogo? The perks are an obvious joke (40k euro for an old Renault Espace? You got to be kidding ...).
Mr. Chorostecki appears to be an economic consultant (nothing to do with aerospace whatsoever: http://www.figxy.com/ )
Mr. Buron is a design/creative consultant (with http://buron.phpnet.org/fre/ag... )
And the third founder Desauvage is, surprise, "creative director".
I wonder whether "inventor and designer" means "I have drawn something in Photoshop and now I only need someone to build it for me", because none of these guys has any relevant engineering qualifications whatsoever.
Oh and it seems they weren't very welcome in France for whatever reason in 2013 ( http://www.ladepeche.fr/articl... ), so that's why they want to go to Silicon Valley ... The article also mentions that the vehicle was to be all-electric (yeah right, pipe dreams ...).
The probability that any backers, who would put actually money into this, will see anything from this project, is pretty much zero, IMO.
Sky lice?
Skylz?
Sky lees?
If you want a flying car, check out e-volo. They've flown their prototypes, they've got the cooperation of the German government, and apparently adequate funding to bring it to market.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
When people want a flying car, they want this:
http://justacarguy.blogspot.co...
No props, no fans, not load noise.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
your one stop scammer shop.
You can also find magical medical 'devices' and perpetual motion machines.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Every crowdfunded venture I've invested in has been bust so far, save one - which is over a year late. Therefore, I shall do us a service and invest in this, with high hopes of a 93% chance of it never seeing the light of day.
As a California resident, I do not want the same jackasses that drive the I-5 in control of flying vehicles. The average person can't properly deal with two dimensions, let alone three.
With trust in almighty providence, and that the FAA will never let people get a flying car license out of a Cracker Jack box, let us join hands and kill this abominable idea.
Moller have already been doing this, for decades!
A quick google search finds that Patrick Pietrzak has two patents from 20 years ago that are not remotely related to aerospace. Jean-Claude Gallard as head of research & industrial project manager is related to Thales Avionics, which produces avionics products but not air frames. Gary Chorostecki who is co-founder and co-inventor does not have any patents according to google. Quote from their crowd funding page:
"For a few reasons, our small personal initial cash flow has run out over the past four years trying to build it on our own, and we have never been as close to getting this "off the ground"."
I guess it was in their interest not to detail the few reasons that might make them fail again when funded again? Also "close" may mean anything here. As I see it they only have shiny renderings that anyone can do with Blender. 2 million don't get you a prototype either, especially when you factor in labor and certifications.
Also notice the total absence of terms that aerospace engineers would use to describe their inventions.
No one needs a flying car, that's why it's still fantasy and these jag offs want you to pay for the next few years of high life for them.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
5 year old girls want a pony with sparkles - or maybe a unicorn, but they can't have one. Commuters want a flying car but they can't have one either.
Aircraft fly by moving a lot of air downward in order to counteract gravity. If they move less air quickly the total power the need goes up (force goes as mass/second * velocity, power goes as mass/second * velocity SQUARED). So, in order to be efficient they need to have very big wings, or very big helicopter rotors, or very big low density volumes.
Look at all conventional aircraft, they have BIG wings. Those wings will not fit on roads. So if you want a flying car you are left with a clunky folding wing contraption that is a terrible car AND a terrible airplane. No matter how pretty the CGI or fiberglass mock-up design it just isn't going to work.
Despite the fact that most flexible funding indiegogo projects are scams and unless you donate huge amounts of money you get nothing of value back?
You're right it won't fly. Also if it does it won't get a certificate because loss of one engine or ducted fan will send it into a spin due to asymmetric thrust due to the ducted fans being at the ends of the wings. (Note there is a reason why the V-22 Osprey has twin tails)
"'In detail we aim to create an urban dual-mode, hybrid flight and electric drive motorized vehicle that fits into sustainable mobility."
Yeah, good luck with that.
Sorry, but I just can't see the feasibility of flying cars unless they're entirely autonomous. Getting a pilot's license is difficult for good reason, and is also part of why flying is so safe. I can't see how well it would work to teach everyone how to fly given that.
// file: mice.h
#include "frickin_lasers.h"
No no no. Like I said, the computer does the actual steering (for non-rural usage).
Table-ized A.I.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahaha...ha
We should have people restricted to driving in 1D until they have achieved competence, then add extra dimensions as their ability improves.
When the material sciences are to the point where a lightweight container can sustain Earth atmospheric pressure from crushing down on it, we'll have a practical way to take off vertically without prompting your neighbours to invest in surface to air missiles when you crank the engine on one of these in the morning on your daily commute.
Except that the density of air is ~ 1.2kg/m^3, so to produce 100 kg of lift (average weight of an adult male American: 90kg) you'd need a balloon with a volume of 100/1.2 = 83.333.. m^3.
If your balloon is a sphere, the diameter should be 2 * (83.333 / (4*pi/3))^(1/3) = 5.42 meters. Google tells me that's about 18 feet.
I suppose it would be feasible for recreational activities. Commuting into a city? Don't think so.
And this is the issue with every single "flying car" prototype. The efficiency of a rotorcraft is determined by its disc loading. All of the VTOL "flying car" designs have a comparatively tiny disc area, and thus a ridiculous disc loading. With enough power you can make something like that, but in terms of engineering complexity, cost, and reliability it'll be far closer to a Harrier Jump Jet than it will to the Jetsons' car. That SkyTran thing seems pretty cool. Basically an autonomous pod transport system a la every sci-fi metropolis ever.
Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
It may not produce many flying cars, but it may pay for a few rounds of drinks! And thankfully they use flexible funding, so they'll get their bar bill covered even if only four people have donated so far.
From the page:
"This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach its goal. Funding duration: March 31, 2014 - May 15, 2014 (11:59pm PT)."
So lets see... Indiegogo (because kickstarter doesn't allow vapourware projects) check! Flexible funding (so they can just runoff with whatever money people give without ever delivering anything) check! Zero actual photographs of anything real (and lots of impractical looking CG images) check!
You have to think positively, they would also be much sooner dead
It took Bell 20-30 years, billions and a dozen deaths to finish making the v22 ofsprey. I don't see this dude making a miniature one off a kickstarter any time soon.