Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

https://dailycaller.com/2020/08/28/japa ... ailycaller

https://www.nearearth.aero/

Kevin Johnson wrote: ↑Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:54 am https://dailycaller.com/2020/08/28/japa ... ailycaller

https://www.nearearth.aero/

A lot of companies trying to get in the EVTOL market.

When looking at them for viability, think about safety.
Does it have wings large enough to glide with?
Can it still fly if 2 propellers fail?

I was in a flying car once, it seemed like forever till it landed again, it didn't end up good, hurt like hell!
But not as bad as when i crushed an ant in my eye.

Good Lord, does anyone proposing these things take time to review the state of driver skills these days? On every outing it never fails to bemuse me how most react to the change of traffic light state as if it's the first time they saw one! Call these flying robo-taxis if you wish but don't try to sell the idea that freely piloted flying cars have a prayer of being viable.

Steve

the general lee was flying high in the 70's, landings usually werent too good though!

But at least they planned to fly for a bit Lefty, and then had some kind of an idea what the landing would be like.

A blowout in a bend on a dirt road whilst relaxing behind the wheel,, and,, on the bosses time and in one of his cars no less! i can still remember a fully loaded toolbox and pto box flying around inside with me as well.

I think the guy in the Skydrive's only input to flying that machine was to give it a path and destination, the rest would be CPS controlled.

Cheers.

hoodeng wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:41 pm But at least they planned to fly for a bit Lefty, and then had some kind of an idea what the landing would be like.

A blowout in a bend on a dirt road whilst relaxing behind the wheel,, and,, on the bosses time and in one of his cars no less! i can still remember a fully loaded toolbox and pto box flying around inside with me as well.

I think the guy in the Skydrive's only input to flying that machine was to give it a path and destination, the rest would be CPS controlled.

Cheers.

i think everyone has to launch a car good at least once.

chimpvalet wrote: ↑Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:55 pm Good Lord, does anyone proposing these things take time to review the state of driver skills these days? On every outing it never fails to bemuse me how most react to the change of traffic light state as if it's the first time they saw one! Call these flying robo-taxis if you wish but don't try to sell the idea that freely piloted flying cars have a prayer of being viable.

Steve

Most of the EVTOL projects are planned to be autonomous in the long run, only using pilots until the autonomous versions can be certified.

The technical evolution going on in these projects is amazing.
The EVTOL companies have hired away the best talent from supersonic jet projects.
To compare it to automotive, the technology is already a decade beyond a self driving Tesla.
Of course the systems and aerodynamics are in a whole different league.

chimpvalet wrote: ↑Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:55 pm Good Lord, does anyone proposing these things take time to review the state of driver skills these days? On every outing it never fails to bemuse me how most react to the change of traffic light state as if it's the first time they saw one! Call these flying robo-taxis if you wish but don't try to sell the idea that freely piloted flying cars have a prayer of being viable.

Steve

That is a common folk problem!

First didn't read the article don't care bout flying cars bikes or w/e BS

Seriously Elon Musk said it best. Something like flying cars will never happen really because it takes a lot of noise & wind to fly, can you imagine your neighbor landing in their garage at 3am

Not to mention how much fuel or energy would it need and how less efficient? Sure you could make long trip arguments but come on how many would fly to the local store for a pack of smokes or to pick up some beer LOL

Imagine the dumb stuff people would do they already ghost riding the stuff we have.

Lastly the same reason normal people can't have large drones because someone will turn it into a guided bomb!

I think the idea behind flying cars is to have the best of both worlds. You can still drive it like a car but take-off and land where there is room to do it safely and not annoy the neighbours at 3:00 am.

VTOL air taxis are a different beast. Multiple passengers flying short hops between hubs where you can jump in a normal taxi for the rest of the journey.

gruntguru wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 9:44 pm I think the idea behind flying cars is to have the best of both worlds. You can still drive it like a car but take-off and land where there is room to do it safely and not annoy the neighbours at 3:00 am.

VTOL air taxis are a different beast. Multiple passengers flying short hops between hubs where you can jump in a normal taxi for the rest of the journey.

That is what I am working on, several companies will be providing that service within the next few years.
Now it is a race to be first and safest.

You can see some of them in the news.
To evaluate which ones are actually viable in a commercial sense look for two things:

1. The ability to continue to fly if 2 engines fail
2. Wings large enough fly like a conventional plane.

Another problem I foresee is most people have no concept of weight. For example a scene in a movie were the pilot is trying to explain to the drug-lord that just because the plane will fit more drugs, it won't take off because it'll be too heavy!

Try and tell some guy that he can't fly home his new weight set, load of wood or some other heavy purchase and he'll end up in your attic trying.

Good point Boot. I imagine a mass market flying machine would need an inbuilt sensing system to detect the weight (and balance) before allowing a take-off attempt.

As a flight instructor everything about flying cars is a problem. It might happen some day and when it does I am out of the skies.

Paul