Comment on Flying cars crash into each other at Chinese air show

dubyakay@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

• Dasus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  Eh, not exactly. I’m curious as to what sort of a contraption it is.

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  • Nelots@piefed.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    So they’re like… low-altitude helicopters?

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    • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      That’s always been the idea behind flying cars.

      The ones that turn into planes are just planes that can be driven around a little easier than a normal plane.

      If you want flying cars to work in a real city, they need VTOL capabilities.

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      • Revan343@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        If you want flying cars to work in a real city, they need VTOL capabilities.

        A proper flying car would also have rolling capabilities

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      • captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        There was actually a “flying car” certified in like the 1950’s, they only ever made like six of them though. It was a car that you could snap wings, a tail and a propeller to and it would fly. There’s one in the EAA museum.

        The most practical “flying car” I’ve ever seen was a dune buggy that also functioned as a powered parachute. Designed to be an offroad vehicle that, if the terrain is truly impassible, it can fly over it. in VERY good weather, at about 40 mph. And you need something of a clearing to take off in but not as much as a plane would.

        Now people are trying to make hexacopters a thing, without really describing to my satisfaction why they’re better than an actual helicopter. They’re not quieter, they’re no more efficient, they’re certainly not safer.

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