Top 8 most promising flying cars and personal air vehicles

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We’ve had both cars and planes for a more than a century already, so what’s taking the flying car so long? It’s mostly been a question of feasibility: Personal flying vehicles must be safe, practical, affordable, fuel efficient and easy to operate for a non-pilot. So far, none of the projects have met all these criteria. But revolutionary technology is bringing us closer to a flying car-reality every day, and with at least 12 companies working on prototypes in the US alone, some personal flying vehicles are but a couple years away from commercial production.

Here’s an overview of the eight most promising personal flying machines:

8. AirScooter
Cruising speed: 40 mph
Passenger capacity: 1
Roadable: No
Fits in garage: N/A
Vertical take-off and landing: Yes
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: Rotor blades
In production: 2011-2015
Price: Unknown

7. CarterCopter
Cruising speed: 173 mph
Passenger capacity: 5
Roadable: Yes
Fits in garage: Yes
Vertical take-off and landing: Yes
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: Foldable
In production: 2020-2025
Price: Unknown

6. Dragonfly 1 and 2

Cruising speed: 40 mph
Passenger capacity: 1
Roadable: No
Fits in garage: N/A
Vertical take-off and landing: Yes
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: Rotor Blades
In production: DF-1 for sale in 2010, DF-2 for sale in 2013
Price: Unknown

5. Moller Skycar
Cruising speed: 305 mph
Passenger capacity: 4
Roadable: No
Fits in garage: Yes
Vertical take-off and landing: Yes
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: No
In production: 2013-2020
Price: $500,000

4. The Transition

Cruising speed: 115 mph
Passenger capacity: 2
Roadable: Yes
Fits in garage: Yes
Vertical take-off and landing: No – Needs air strip
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: Foldable
In production: 2011
Price: $194,000

3. The Skyblazer
Cruising speed: 310 mph
Passenger capacity: 4
Roadable: Yes
Fits in garage: Yes
Vertical take-off and landing: No
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: Retractable
In production: 2012-2015 pending funding
Price: Unknown

2. LaBiche FSC-1

Cruising speed: 250 mph
Passenger capacity: 5
Roadable: Yes
Fits in garage: Yes
Vertical take-off and landing: No
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: Retractable
In production: Currently for sale
Price: $175,000

1. X-Hawk
Cruising speed: 100 mph
Passenger capacity: 3
Roadable: Yes
Fits in garage: Yes
Vertical take-off and landing: Yes
Retractable/Foldable/Narrow wings: No wings
In production: 2013-2015
Price: $1.5 million

In anticipation of an exploding flying car market, NASA is developing a Highway in the Sky, designed to enable anyone with a regular driver’s license to fly on predetermined roads in the air.]

1 Top 8 most promising flying cars and personal air vehicles Mon Jul 28, 2014 4:40 pm

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