Flying Cars

Tran Vuia and his flying machine (public domain)

Exactly what is a flying car? After all, a Cessna has wheels, but it's a plane. Try to drive a Cessna down the street, however, and those wings are going to get in the way.

A flying car is both street legal on the ground and FAA compliant in the air. Sounds simple enough doesn't it? It would be if it weren't for those pesky wings. If you thought it was a pain to open up a Targa top, imagine how awkward it would be to remove a couple of wings. Automated collapsible wings would be the user-friendly solution to the problem, but how to accomplish this without compromising wing stability or driver safety?

Ultimately, flying cars are a fantastic idea that no one has quite figured out. And even if someone creates a viable model, who is going to buy one? A pilot's license requires a significant investment of time and money. Planes and helicopters are also expensive to maintain. Yearly inspections and regular overhauls are mandatory because, well, blowing a head gasket at 10,000 feet is a sigificant problem.

Despite the obstacles, the flying car is still a popular idea and several companies are pushing ahead with the dream. These pages are dedicated to those dreamers and their flying machines.

Milner AirCar

Their AirCar is at the very early stages, as they’re currently putting together a non-flying prototype. Read more...

Moller SkyCar

One look at the 4-passenger Moller M400 Skycar and we don’t much care who you are, this is a dynamo—hustler and hooker. Read more...

Terrafugia Transition

The Terrafugia Transition is a two-seat road-worthy light aircraft currently under development by Terrafugia. Read more...

LaBiche Aerospace FSC-1

The LaBiche Aerospace FSC-1 purports to be the "first aircraft in history that can convert at the touch of button between car and airplane mode in 30 seconds" Read more...

Related Articles and Resources

• Flying Cars at Wikipedia
• "Top 10 Flying Cars" - GizmoWatch
• "How Flying Cars Will Work" - HowStuffWorks
• FutureCars Flying Car Reviews
• Moller - Flying Car Manufacturer
• Hybrid Cars
• Fuel Cell Cars

Videos

• "Skycar embarks on epic journey" - Guardian
• "Flying Cars" on YouTube

News

• USA Today - "Inventors are sure cars can fly"
• "'Flying car' goes to market" - MSNBC
• "Flying Cars" - Google News