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Flying cars

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:27 am
by Mrs Ex-Ascot
Found this in the Guardian; https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... en-off-yet

An interesting read, I still can't envision the roads/skies being full of self flying cars though. :-?

Re: Flying cars

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:43 am
by Boac
Imagine the skies full of the usual post-binge hangovers and post-snort druggies, not forgetting the boy-racers! Not a place to be. It would make the latest 'drunk pilot' event look like a Sunday school outing.

Re: Flying cars

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:20 am
by Jetex Jim

Re: Flying cars

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 7:29 pm
by PHXPhlyer
Flying car completes 35-minute test flight between cities

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/30/business ... index.html

https://www.klein-vision.com/

London (CNN Business)A prototype flying car has completed a test flight between two cities in Slovakia, spending 35 minutes airborne.

Klein Vision's AirCar flew between Nitra and the capital Bratislava on Monday, according to a press release published Wednesday.
The AirCar Prototype 1 is powered by a 160 horsepower BMW engine, and comes equipped with a fixed propeller. It transforms from aircraft to road vehicle in less than three minutes.
It has now completed more than 40 hours of test flights, according to Klein Vision, including flying at 8,200 feet and reaching a maximum cruising speed of 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour).
After landing in Bratislava on Monday, the aircraft transformed into a car, and was driven into the city center by Klein Vision CEO Stefan Klein and company co-founder Anton Zajac.

"AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept," Zajac said in the press release. "It has turned science fiction into a reality."
The company is working on a model called AirCar Prototype 2, which will boast a 300 horsepower engine.
It is expected to be able to cruise at 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) and have a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).

Klein Vision plans to develop three- and four-seater models of the AirCar, as well as twin-engine and amphibious versions, according to its website.
A growing number of companies are exploring the potential of flying vehicles despite hurdles including safety and reliability. Flying vehicles would need to operate in crowded airspace, near small drones and traditional airplanes, and also need a regulatory framework, which could take years.

Uber (UBER) and Hyundai (HYMTF) unveiled plans for an electric flying taxi at last year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Michael Cole, the CEO of Hyundai's European unit, said on Tuesday that the South Korean automaker is working "very actively" on the program.
Volkswagen (VLKAF) said in February that it is looking into flying vehicles in China. Meanwhile, Porsche, Daimler (DDAIF) and Toyota (TM) have all backed startups in what is known as the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry.
In August 2020, Japanese company Sky Drive Inc. conducted Japan's first public demonstration of a flying vehicle. The car took off from Toyota Test Field and circled for around four minutes.

PP

Re: Flying cars

Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 1:02 am
by PHXPhlyer
$300,000 flying car gets special certification from FAA

https://alef.aero/

SAN MATEO, Calif. - A flying car being developed for both roadways and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities is now one step closer to becoming a reality after receiving a special approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Alef Aeronautics, based in San Mateo, California, has been developing the Model A flying car, which is 100% electric and will carry one or two occupants.

The company envisions the car, which costs roughly $300,000, saving individuals time during the commutes with the ability to fly over stopped traffic and accidents on roadways.

This week, Alef announced that its flying car had received a Special Airworthiness Certification from the FAA, which is issued to pilots to fly an aircraft for pleasure and personal use only and forbids transporting people or property for hire, according to the aviation law firm Aero Law Center.

"The FAA is actively working on its policies for electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, as well as governing interactions between eVTOLs and ground infrastructure," Alef Aeronautics said in a statement.

"Alef's Special Airworthiness Certificate therefore limits the locations and purpose for which Alef is permitted to fly," the statement added.

Alef unveiled a full-sized sports car model along with two working full-size technology demonstrator cars in October 2022. In January, the company said that over 440 of its vehicles had been pre-ordered "from both individuals and corporate consumers."

The company has previously said it hopes to begin delivering the vehicles to customers by the end of 2025, according to reports.

"Alef is aiming to deliver the first real flying car in history, and to receive so many early pre-orders is incredible validation of the market potential we're looking to satisfy," Jim Dukhovny, Alef's CEO, said in a statement earlier this year.

A closer look at Alef’s ‘Model A’ flying car

Alef’s flying car is being developed for driving "on a regular urban or rural road," according to its website. The vehicle fits into a regular driving lane and confines to all traffic regulatory conditions.

It can also be parked in a regular parking space and inside a regular-sized garage, the company said.

The Model A will be a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), meaning it won’t go faster than about 25 miles per hour on a paved surface.

"The assumption is that, if a driver needs a faster route, a driver will use Alef’s flight capabilities," Alef states on its website.

The flying car is being developed to take off in the air vertically and move in any direction – including forward, backward, right, left, up, down, at an angle, Alef says.

"It offers the ability to bypass the problematic areas on the ground, by flying over them. It offers a cinematic 180 degree plus view for safe and enjoyable flight," the company states on its website.

It’s also being developed as a clean energy vehicle, and a hydrogen option may also be offered to customers "at a higher price, but with an extended drive and flight range," according to Alef’s website.

PP

Re: Flying cars

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2023 2:34 pm
by PHXPhlyer
Alef Aeronautics CEO: Our flying car is 'safer than regular cars'
The price tag for this vehicle is $300,000, but the company's CEO says they are hoping to one day bring it down to $35,000.

https://www.abc15.com/alef-aeronautics- ... gular-cars

For decades, shows like "The Jetsons" and movies like "Back to the Future" had us anticipating the day when flying cars would be the norm.

Now Silicon Valley-based Alef Aeronautics is one step closer to having the first electric flying car on the roads and in the air.

The news comes after the company was granted a special certification from the Federal Aviation Administration to test its product in the skies.

"With this certification, we can actually fly close to home for different kinds of purposes," said Jim Dukovny, Alef Aeronautics CEO.

Jim Dukovny is one of the founders of the Northern California-based sustainable electric transportation company.

He says the special government certification gives his company clearance to operate its Model-A flying car over parts of Silicon Valley.

An electric vehicle capable of driving on roads like an automobile or zooming up like a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

He says it's the first vehicle of its kind to receive such a clearance for test runs from the federal government.

SEE MORE: The history of our pursuit of a flying car

"I would claim it actually to be the first traditional car, and especially an electric car. It looks like a car that can be parked in a parking space, can be driven on a regular street with vertical takeoff, which is allowed by the government to fly," said Dukovny. "It's maybe a very small step for planes. It's a giant step for cars."

Alef unveiled the full-size sports model car in October 2022, along with two working full-size demonstrator cars.

Since then, pre-orders have been booming, with everyone from college students to boomers and even companies looking to get behind the wheel of this first-of-a-kind ride.

The price tag is $300,000.

"We have the regular line and priority line. You can pretty much be sure that most people on the priority line have enough cash and want to get the first account," said Dukovny. "They are early adopters. They were one of the first ones who bought Teslas. They're the first who bought a lot of new technology."

Dukovny says the six-figure sticker price for the futuristic vehicle may be steep to start, but that his company’s goal is to significantly reduce the cost for the average consumer.

"Initially for us, our plan is to get it down to below 100K and then eventually to get it close to 35K. But first cars, it's just because, as with any hardware, large hardware product, it's just like incurring the cost," said Dukovny.

As for concerns about safety, Dukovny says that "it's safer than helicopters and airplanes and safer than your regular cars on the ground."

The company says it plans to begin delivering the vehicles to customers by 2025.

With the help of the federal government, they’re one step closer to getting that goal off the ground.

"With the modern technology, you should not be standing in traffic, wasting your time, wasting everybody's time, and so on. Time is very precious," said Dukovny.

PP