Flying Car: Difference between revisions
other reasons why a flying car is impractical
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The lack of flying cars in [[Real Life]] is a [[I Want My Jetpack|common complaint]]. The fact that they would for all intents and purposes be personal aircraft, and require the same regulations and specialized skill as planes and helicopters is a big reason why we haven't seen any in our lifetimes. Several flying cars ''have been invented'' in [[Real Life]], but [[Awesome but Impractical|the concept has always ended up getting scrapped]] because said flying cars used up a ''lot'' of fuel... and had a penchant for crash-landing when they ran out. Most fictional cars [[Hand Wave]] this by saying something about an [[Anti Gravity]] element in place.
In addition, flying cars make a lot of noise. Living next to a crowded highway is already bad enough. Now imagine dealing with that noise ''everywhere'' you go. People already have trouble driving their car in two dimensions; introduce a third one and it's a recipe for disaster. A slight bump to the wings of a flying car is a ticket to the nearest car repair shop. We can't have flying cars zapping around everywhere the same way we only have cars driving on roads. If flying cars are unregulated, there's a high chance they'll crash into each other, so we have to dedicate airways to them the same way we do with planes — at this point, you're better off buying a regular car. Needless to say, flying cars are simply impractical. But the wonderful world of entertainment ''isn't'' real life, so creators can make whatever they want — so long it [[Rule of Cool|looks cool]].
[[Flying Bike]] is either a subtrope or a related trope, depending on how you view the relationship between cars and motorcycles in Real Life.
{{examples}}
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* Tracks' alternate mode in ''[[Transformers Generation 1]]'' was a Corvette Stingray with pop-out wings
** In ''[[Transformers Cybertron]]'', Optimus' vehicle mode has a flight configuration. The side panels swing out and then rotate down to become large wings, and the ladder/cannon on either one swings around so that it still faces forward. His vehicle mode? A fire truck. That's right, he turns into a ''[[Crazy Awesome|flying fire truck]]''.
* Bob's car in ''[[
* Due to being tricked out by her twin super genius brothers, [[Kim Possible]]'s car has this capability.
* Goldie of ''[[Goldie Gold and Action Jack]]'' has a flying limo.
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== Real Life ==
* As pointed out at the top of the page, flying cars ''have'' been invented in [[Real Life]]. The idea has just never managed to get off the ground [pun intended] because the flying cars used up ''way'' too much fuel while airborne. Also, they had a nasty tendency to crash when they ran out (which happened ''much'' more quickly than one might think.) Add expense, complexity of operation, and the relative practicality of an automobile as transportation... and you see the problem.
** The critical problem with 'flying cars' is that they are ''aircraft''. As such you can't fly one without a pilot's license, and air traffic control would go insane trying to sort out millions of aircraft flying around each other in a small area. Most existing 'flying cars' are better described as roadable aircraft. Most small airfields are in rural areas, so you have the minor problem of arriving at an airfield and having no transport to the nearest town, except for a taxi or folding bicycle. The idea is that you could detach the wings and propeller, then drive the remaining vehicle by road into town. They are not really designed as a replacement for your normal car.
*** Not to mention that traffic collisions are bad enough with how cars are now. Imagine how much worse they'd get if you factored in the fact that the car's going to be falling from 300+ feet above the ground.
* ''[[Top Gear]]''{{'}}s James May made a [https://web.archive.org/web/20110826092709/http://www.open2.net/jamesmay/come_fly_with_me.html documentary on the subject], concluding that despite the safety concerns the main problem with flying cars would be the paperwork.
* [[Vaporware]] example: the [http://www.moller.com/ Moller Skycar].
** The Moller website does have some lovely quotes, though:
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** Of course making it fly safely is only the first step, you then have to get FAA approval and find backing. the [[wikipedia:Taylor Aerocar|Taylor Aerocar]] managed the second step, but not quite the third.
* The closest Real Life equivalent to the flying car of science fiction is the helicopter. Unfortunately, they're expensive, hard to fly, and make much more noise than you would want to live next to, which is why the average person doesn't own one.
** The good news is that we now have computers that can make helicopters significantly easier to fly. Of course that doesn't help the noise, and actually makes them
** Actually, if one doesn't mind a little less fuel efficiency there's always tip-jet powered helicopters, whose rotor blades are not powered by a central shaft, but instead a jet at the tips. The Nazis tried it using ramjets at the end, but it's less complicated and safer to use compressed air pumped through the rotor assembly by a compressor inside the body. Not only is this system quieter, but the lack of a torqued shaft removes the need for a tail rotor and dramatically decreases the slow response time of control inputs, making it much easier to fly than traditional helicopters.
** Small airplanes, such as those made by Cessna, are also pretty close to the science fiction conception of flying <s>airplanes</s> cars in everything but ease of control and appearance. Also, they are very expensive.
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** This highlights an interesting, if subtle, distinction between "flying cars" and "road-able aircraft", which is a term you'll often read if studying this topic. The Terrafugia "''Transition''" is an ''airplane'' that happens to have compact, folding wings and the ability to drive on regular roads. You still need to take off and land at an airport, and fly the vehicle like any small plane—but you can ''drive it home'' from the airstrip after you land, too, as if it were a car. (You can also drive ''instead'' of flying if weather conditions are bad). Not quite as glamorous as a full flying car might be -- [[Boring but Practical|but in the end, far more practical.]]
* While other flying car designs are more like "airplanes you can drive on the road", [https://web.archive.org/web/20131107024540/http://www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=635469588001 this I-TEC design] is more like "a car that can also fly". It only gets 40 MPH in the air, but it's pretty speedy on the road (see around 2:50 in the video), and the company seems to have serious plans for what they want to do with it.
* The [[wikipedia:Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar|Avrocar]]. It never really took off, figuratively or literally.
* Volkswagen's China branch appears to have come up with [http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/05/09/volkswagen_s_people_s_car_project_creates_hover_vehicle_concept_video_.html a floating car]. This particular concept car relies on magnetic levitation instead of conventional engines, meaning it'll require a lot of specialized infrastructure to be drivable.
* Hovecrafts, technically. Well, they don't actually touch the ground when in motion. It happens that their flight ceiling is about an inch.
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