Avcen Jetpod T-100 City Flying Taxi says "naught" to highways

No, that's not a scene from The Fifth Element II. What you see here is the Avcen Limited Jetpod T-100 City Flying Taxi, a VQSTOL (Very Quiet Short Take-off and Landing) vehicle that the company says could be in the air by 2010. The idea is that these flying cars would volley people between city centers and outlying areas (like airports) in order to reduce highway traffic. Avcen says that 75 of these in London could relieve road traffic of 37,000 return car trips per day all the while keeping things quiet and requiring only short landing strips made of pavement or grass. For air geeks, specs include dual jet engines with a thrust of 2 x 13.3 kN, a cruising speed of 350 mph, a range of 920 miles, an operating payload of 1,543 lbs, and seating for 7 pax. Bruce Willis pilot not included.

[Via The Contaminated]

[(Unverified) Posted May 27th 2008 3:14PM]

"Its the car of the future... TODAY(ish)!!!!"

[imark Posted Jul 9th 2008 8:19PM]

Sounds a bit far fetched... but fun to consider just the same.

[ZeroCorpse Posted May 27th 2008 8:29PM]

This brought back fond memories of the game "Space Taxi" for the Commodore 64. What a cool little game that was!

[(Unverified) Posted May 27th 2008 8:46PM]

Those tiny wings are going to require high takeoff speeds for an airplane of this weight. Using the figures given, we see:

2 x 13.3 kN (3000 lb) thrust engines (guessing Williams FJ44-3)
Specific fuel consumption = 0.46 lb/hr/eng in cruise (much higher at takeoff, and in low altitude flight typical of these missions), which works out to 1380 lb per hour per engine.
Range 920 miles, speed 350 mph = endurance approx 3 hours
This would need 8280 lb of fuel
Add to that 1543 lb of payload, and (guessing?) 5000 lb (very optimistic) empty weight; total = 14,823.

This is in the weight range of a Cessna CJ3 which uses the same engine. It needs 3,180 feet (balanced field, FAR 25) for takeoff, and it has a lot more wing area (meaning it can get airborne at a lower speed).

The 125 meters takeoff distance cited elsewhere can't include a provision for accelerating to V1 and aborting, nor for accelerating to V2 and continuing (shallower climb angle).

And jet fuel costs what in Britain these days? A 15-minute mission (taxi, takeoff, landing) will easily burn 1000 lb (150 gal). At $8/gal that's $1200 per mission in fuel alone -- or $171/person if they fill all 7 seats with paying customers.

I don't think so! Even if I'm off by a factor of 2 in my estimates, it can't make economic sense. Toss in some bad weather, the need to approach and depart over congested areas, the aforementioned checkin delays, etc ...

[(Unverified) Posted May 27th 2008 8:54PM]

And even if it could take off and land vertically, remember what's needed: thrust downward equal to weight just to hover. So the chap who mentioned "it can take off in my garden" may want to reconsider the offer :-) Your garden would soon resemble the airport -- a nice, flat, open expanse of land!

[robgreen Posted May 27th 2008 9:03PM]

Bit more thought needed for practical use given that a 7 person people carrier probably has massively better fuel economy for short runs.

Be interesting to see how they'd compare to short flights though to infrequent destinations, replacing the need for small / medium size airports and planes to be run on those services.

[(Unverified) Posted May 28th 2008 11:36AM]

People drive like dumbasses when the only option is to turn left and right, could you immagine if they could go up and down too! and planes don't have "fender benders," fender bender equals you DIE! an air bag isn't going to help you!!!

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2008 4:08AM]

How hard can it be to make these things operate without a pilot?

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2008 6:51PM]

This is cash money! Yes there is risk in crashing but same goes for a car on the road. There is risk in everything, regardless, this is a GREAT idea and I glad it is coming to fruition.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 16th 2009 8:44AM]

News Flash: the inventor died while testing the plane on the fourth take off test after failed the first 3!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 16th 2009 8:48AM]

News Flash: the inventor died while testing the plane on the fourthtake off test after failed the first 3!

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/latest-world-news/2009/08/16/british-pilot-dies-in-malaysia-91466-24453075/

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 16th 2009 2:56PM]

Hot news everybody, I believe this flying taxi conduct testing at Ipoh airbase , Perak state, Malaysia 16 August 2009, and crash, the Russian pilot was kill,

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 16th 2009 3:11PM]

Correction, not russian , but British pilot. Michael Robert .The site is Tekah airport, Taiping, Perak state.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 19th 2009 5:35AM]

Their has been a slight delay in the production of the taxi because it taxied into the ground with the owner owner of the company at the helm

[Geckomayhem Posted Aug 18th 2009 8:34PM]

RIP Michael Dacre. I hope someone will pick up where he left off. The concept is great.