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Tyrannos flying military car concept avoids road obstacles... by flying
The idea of a flying car is probably the most stereotypical emblem of "the future" anyone can possibly offer up -- but we never really tire of it regardless. Logi AeroSpace is the latest start up to revive those fantasies, and as you can see from the concept shot above, they're aiming high. Called the Tyrannos, the newest flying car to come on our radar is a four-wheeler that has four small rotary wings to get it off the ground. The car is designed to be road and air-friendly, meaning that it can take off from the road, avoiding obstacles in military situations, with a maximum height of around 1,000 feet, the car would seat four and ideally take almost no special training -- meaning you wouldn't have to be a pilot to drive / fly one. The company has pitched the idea to DARPA , where many military projects get their first breath of life, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for any developments on this one.
Terrafugia Transition flying car gets a little closer to reality with FAA approval
If you're a little heavier than your spouse would like, you have two choices: get a new diet, or get a new spouse. However, if you're the Terrafugia Transition flying car and you're a little heavier than the FAA would like, you have a third option: get an exemption. The, uh, car is 120lbs too heavy to fit into the FAA's "light sport" designation, defining craft that can be flown by pilots with only 20 hours of logged seat time. However, the 1,560lb craft was given special exemption, enabling it to continue onward to production. If you haven't been following along, the thing can manage 115mph in the air then land, fold up its wings, and get 30mpg on the highway. If all goes according to plan we should be seeing this car get its big, beautiful self up for sale sometime next year -- all $194,000 worth of it.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: lights, water, action
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. All eyes in the design world have been focused this week on the Milan Design Fair 2010 - the biggest and most important design event in the world. Inhabitat scouts have been combing the fair, looking for the latest and greatest innovations in future-forward design. We've spotted a number of ingenious lighting innovations, such as this OLED chandelier from iconic British design Tom Dixon, and a beautiful recyclable pendant lamp inspired by origami. We basked in the gazpacho glare of an incredible table lamp powered completely by tomatoes, and we flipped out over an interactive wooden light wall inspired by the Japanese art of origami. We were also wowed by Yves Béhar's latest foray into fancy chandelier design, with a collection of shimmering paper chandeliers that adorned the Swarovski Crystal Palace. The past week was also awash in H2O tech as researchers unveiled fresh new ways to keep us hydrated and produce clean power. One team of MIT researchers successfully harnessed viruses to split molecules of water to create hydrogen fuel, while another team unveiled a stamp-sized water purifying chip that can be lined up in arrays to generate 15 liters of water per hour. Meanwhile, Mexican artist Gilberto Esparza took a different tact to water purification altogether: he's created a group of robotic "nomad plants" that harvest sludge from polluted rivers and use it as an energy source. We also saw several advances in wearable technology that could improve your game and keep you wired throughout the day. Three engineering students from Northeastern University have developed a "data-logging" compression shirt that helps baseball pitchers avoid torn ligaments, and designer Jennifer Darmour has created a "social-networking garment" that allows you to connect with your virtual audience with every move you make! We also covered several remarkable transportation developments, starting with DARPA's plans to build a futuristic flying transformer car. Speaking of high-flying transportation, we caught wind of a prototype high speed solar airship that could one day offer an emission-free method of hauling cargo across the US. Finally, South Africa is getting set to jump on the high speed rail "train" as it announced it is working on a new rail network that will cut transit times in twain, improve economic development, and modernize the country.
NASA's Puffin is the latest personal flying machine that will never be produced (video)
Yes, this is going to be another flying car post in which we lament our current, terrestrial ways and our predominantly Earth-bound means of getting places. NASA has what it thinks is the solution, a personal flying machine called Puffin that is just large enough for a person to wedge themselves into before lurching off vertically, powered by a pair of electric motors. These motors are said to make the machine almost silent so an initial application could be covert battlefield insertions, meaning yet again those military brats get to have all the fun -- in theory. However, we're going to be downers and say we don't think they'll ever get to use this thing either, as we're not seeing any room for battery packs in that man-sized fuselage. But hey, there's some rendered conceptualization after the break if you're a dreamer.
Avcen Jetpod inventor killed in test flight crash
Here's a sobering reminder of the very real risks that people undertake in the name of science and progress. Michael Robert Dacre, the inventor and test pilot of the Jetpod flying taxi, has died in a crash during testing of his latest prototype. Reports from Malaysia indicate that the twin-engine aircraft went out of control shortly after takeoff before spiraling to the ground. It is unclear where the Jetpod's future lies now, but the original plans of a 2010 release seem extremely unlikely in light of such tragic news. The short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft was intended primarily as a futuristic ferryboat between airports and city centres, and we certainly hope its development continues -- if for no other reason than to honor the vision of its fallen inventor.
Parajet SkyCar flying vehicle evolves, now ready for pre-orders
The historians once pontificated that we'd all be cruising about in flying cars right around the year 2000, and while that whole Y2K fiasco threw us a tad behind schedule, it looks like the future may actually still be upon us. Parajet, the same company responsible for that downright unnerving personal flying machine we peeked back in '05, has now placed its long-awaited SkyCar up for pre-order. Said vehicle has evolved quite dramatically over the years, but now that dollars (er, pounds) are being dropped on it, we have to assume that the design is near final. The vehicle is completely street legal and can accelerate to 62mph in just 4.2 seconds, thus making it the world's first "usable, road-legal flying car." If you're champing at the bit to be the first on your block with one, you can drop £10,000 ($16,381) now and pay the remaining £50,000 ($81,905) just before it ships in "late 2010." Of course, we're not making any promises about it actually shipping, but that's a risk you'll have to take.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Video: Terrafugia's flying car lifts off
We've had a lot of fun with Terrafugia over the last year or so, but we weren't exactly holding our breath in anticipation of the Transition's maiden flight. That said, we're definitely psyched to hear that the "roadable aircraft" went airborne in a super-secret test flight that took place in the early hours of March 5th at Plattsburgh International Airport. The vehicle left the ground for a good thirty-seven seconds, traveling some 3,000 feet. At a press conference today, the company's CEO Carl Dietrich remarked that "with this achievement, Terrafugia has set the stage for personal aviation." Which, considering how folks light up I-95 on an average workday, might at first blush seem somewhat unsettling -- but to each his own, right? According to the company, more than forty people have put down the $10,000 deposit for the new aircraft, which -- if all goes according to plan -- will be hitting the road sometime in 2011. Videos after the break.[Via Slashdot]
Terrafugia Transition flying car shows up at air show, doesn't fly
As promised, Terrafugia's Transition flying car recently made its public debut at the AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and while it didn't actually fly, it at least looks a whole lot more real than those renders the company had been showing off. Terrafugia has also gotten a bit more specific about the vehicle's specs, with it promising that the Transition's weight will stay under 850 pounds thanks to its carbon fiber body, and that it'll get about 23 mpg from its 100 hp Rotax 912 S engine. Unlike something like the fabled Moller Skycar, however, this one won't do vertical take offs and landings, so you'll either need a really long driveway or access to a runway of some sort. There's also no word on what it'll cost, but Terrafugia says it already has fifty customers awaiting delivery of the vehicle, which the company is promising will happen in 2010. If you're still craving more flying car promises, you can head on past the break for an interview with Terrafugia co-founder Samuel Schweighart courtesy of AVweb.
Icon's foldable, 2-seater plane unveiled, available now
Icon's foldable airplane is meant to fill that all-important gap between, say, hang gliders and commercial jets. This 2-seater Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) was unveiled last week to much applause by people with all sorts of cash. From a gadget standpoint, though, the Icon is worth a little deconstruction. It's powered by a rear-facing, reciprocating engine, can be configured for water landing, has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds, has a max airspeed of 120 knots (138 mph), and features a dashboard that's meant to be familiar to car drivers. Unlike the Terrafugia, the Icon is not meant to drive up to your house, but we figure you'll be cruising around in some expensive SUV with this thing in tow anyway. And better yet, you can order this thing online with a credit card and a $5,000 deposit. Check out the video of the Icon's unveiling after the break.[Via FreshCreation]
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]
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NASA crowns winner in $250k "flying car" contest
Flying cars come pretty high up the average gadget geek's wishlist, so it's pretty encouraging to see NASA funding a $250,000 contest that could eventually produce a pioneering vehicle that can fly and drive. Although none of the winners this time around can actually achieve the two feats, they all have features that tend towards the PAV (or Personal Aircraft Vehicle) area of the General Aviation spectrum. The winner was the Pipistrel Virus, a $70,000 aircraft that can do 50 MPG and take off on short runways, whilst having a top speed of 170 MPH. The industry still seems to have a while to go yet, seeing as NASA awarded a prize to the Cessna 172, which has been flying in one form or another for practically half a century.
Retirees plan to take to the skies with flying car
Proving that flying cars are not just a dream for the young, a pair of retirees in their seventies have set out to take themselves airborne in style, pouring their own money and know-how into their self-designed vehicle. As The Dallas Morning News reports, the duo has already invested about $70,000 in the car, dubbed the GT Flyer, and they're now seeking some $1.2 million from investors in order to actually make a prototype that gets off the ground. That will apparently be based around a 232 horsepower engine from a Mazda RX-8, which will drive the vehicle's front wheels when it's in "car mode," and spin the rear-mounted propeller when switched to flight mode, topping out a comfortable cruising speed of 150 mph. As a little added incentive, they're also hoping to enter the car into NASA's Personal Air Vehicle Centennial Challenge, which could net them between $250,000 and $550,000, although we somehow doubt they'd use that to retire.[Via Gadget Lab and CNET, photo courtesy of The Dallas Morning News]
Urban Aeronautics plans X-Hawk flying car for 2010
Flying cars have been doing this whole vaporware thing long before Duke Nukem Forever was even a twinkle in 3D Realms' eye. That's why it's practically absurd to assume anything at all will come from this new X-Hawk flying car, whose inventor, Rafi Yoeli, the founder of Urban Aeronautics, claims could ready for the market by 2010. The project has been in the works for years already, but Rafi recently managed to get a rudimentary prototype to fly a few feet off the ground, and has sparked some interest from Textron's Bell Helicopters for potential partnership. Two main things set the X-Hawk apart from the pack. First, the ducted fan design allows the car to achieve the speed and maneuverability of a helicopter -- 155 mph, 12,000-foot altitude, two hours of flight time, vertical take off and landing -- but removes the dangers of exposed rotors, allowing the "car" to sidle up to buildings for rescue missions, or coexist in close quarters with other vehicles. The enclosed-rotor design isn't perfectly unique, but the X-Hawk further differentiates itself by its target market: Rafi is going after those established military and rescue dollars, instead of the theoretical consumers willing to drop $1.5 million on a flying car that they'll still need to obtain complicated licenses for and etc. Making high-rise rescues possible, along with urban airlifts and such makes this sound like a natural fit, and perhaps we'll get a little bit of trickle-down flying car action before 2035 when Duke Nukem finally ships.[Via Autoblog]
LaBiche's FSC-1TM flying sports car looks lamer than it sounds
Alright, maybe we're just turned off by the totally sketchy concept renders, but we were really hoping the car of the future would look a bit better than some high schooler's CAD project. All the same, LaBiche's claims that "A real Flying Car is finally here!" have piqued our interest, and we're pleased to hear that this FSC-1TM flying sports car thing should be able to hit an airspeed in excess of 275 mph, not bad at all for a pair of retractable wings. So far the most testing this thing has gotten is in the X-Plane flight simulator software, and in a 1/10th scale model plane prototype. A full-size mockup is in the works, and apparently they're all ready to take your money for a $175,000 build-it-yourself kit, but we're guessing it'll be a few years until someone is foolhardy enough to try and get the real deal off the ground.[Via The Raw Feed]
