The Future Of Flying Cars [Infographic]

Remember when you were a kid and it seemed like the flying cars of The Jetsons and Blade Runner were just around the corner? But then you grew up, flying cars never came to be, and you were happy for it because you realized that most people have enough trouble driving on land and introducing another dimension would be nothing but trouble. However, their are plenty of naive inventors who still seem to think that flying cars are a swell idea. Despite a horrific future of incessant mid-air collisions, these "innovators" want to make flying cars a reality. Check out twelve of the inventors and companies at the forefront of flying car tech in this infographic from Futurism then pray that they never succeed.Source: Futurism

Source: The Future Of Flying Cars [Infographic]

Terrifying flying touring car is your crash of the day

Home / Motorsport / Terrifying flying touring car is your crash of the day

The British Touring Car Championship is awesome. It was awesome back in the Group A then super touring days, but lost a bit of its zing — and following — at the turn of the century. But at the minute it's one of the most competitive and exciting championships in the world. There's approximately 14,000 different manufacturers on the grid, the sponsor support is decent, and the crowds are still there. 

And best of all, the racing is as ferociously aggressive as it's always been.

But, as with any category that encourages competitors to pull their sleeves up (ahem, Nascar), there's always a risk that things could get out of hand. And last weekend at Snetterton things got out.of.hand.

A bungled start race start saw multiple cars check up to avoid the spinning Ford Focus of Alex Martin. And while most were successful, Power Maxed Racing's Hunter Abbott was less so. He did manage to avoid Martin, but he couldn't quite avoid Mark Howard's guilty looking Volkswagen Passat. Hitting each other at the wheels, Abbott's world inverted as his car high-jumped over the armco and into a camera scaffold. Thankfully Abbott, and the camera man, were unharmed in the melee.

Complaints about the actions of Martin and Howard have flowed thick and fast in the wake of the incident. But, everyone should just be happy that things didn't end up worse. As commentator and former BTCC champion Tim Harvey said during the telecast; "we got away with it today."

Source: Terrifying flying touring car is your crash of the day

The Future Of Flying Cars [Infographic]

Remember when you were a kid and it seemed like the flying cars of The Jetsons and Blade Runner were just around the corner? But then you grew up, flying cars never came to be, and you were happy for it because you realized that most people have enough trouble driving on land and introducing another dimension would be nothing but trouble. However, their are plenty of naive inventors who still seem to think that flying cars are a swell idea. Despite a horrific future of incessant mid-air collisions, these "innovators" want to make flying cars a reality. Check out twelve of the inventors and companies at the forefront of flying car tech in this infographic from Futurism then pray that they never succeed.Source: Futurism

Source: The Future Of Flying Cars [Infographic]

This Guy Hated Traffic So He Made A Gyrocopter-Like Flying Motorcycle For Himself

By Wajeeha - August, 2nd 2016

The Aerospace engineer Dezso Molnar has always hated traffic. So, he hit upon an innovative idea to engineer a flying car inspired by the motorcycle-like gyrocopter. Watch the machine in action in this video:

Molnar took his unique creation for testing in the Mojave Desert. Through his machine has yet to take off the ground, he achieved some pretty amazing speeds.

Image Source: Bloomberg

The overhead rotors of a gyrocopter are not driven mechanically. In fact, the engine propels the gyrocopter forward and the thrust generated by the motion in the forward direction causes the overhead rotors to spin.

Image Source: Bloomberg

Molnar created this machine all by himself in his garage. Once his contraption takes off, Molnar has plans to introduce the fly car racing league in the Mojave Desert.

Source: This Guy Hated Traffic So He Made A Gyrocopter-Like Flying Motorcycle For Himself

Larry Page's flying car company wants to expand

SILICON VALLEY — When you think tech, you probably don't think of a municipal airport.

But Hollister Municipal Airport is where flying car company Zee.Aero Inc., reported by Bloomberg to be funded by Alphabet CEO Larry Page, is looking to put down long-term roots.

On Monday, the Hollister City Council will vote on approving a 34-year, 1-acre lease with the Mountain View-based company.

Zee.Aero already has a presence at the airport: The company signed a five-year lease in 2014, according to the Hollister Free Lance, and has been conducting flight tests of two prototypes, according to Bloomberg.

The new lease not only drastically extends the company's length of stay, but also calls for construction of new facilities.

Zee.Aero plans on constructing a 14,000-square-foot hangar (which will include office space), a 9,900-square-foot parking lot and a 16,400-square-foot aircraft ramp, according to the lease and city staff report.

The company gained a patent in 2013 for an electric-powered personal aircraft that can take off and land vertically.

The Bloomberg article, published in June, paints a picture of a secretive company that took measures to hide Page's involvement. It's a characteristic backed up by the 2014 Free Lance piece.

"They don't really want to brag about what they do," Airport Director Mike Chambless was quoted as saying. "I can tell you it's an aircraft manufacturing company. They're bringing about 15 jobs down here and they're well-funded."

The company will pay Hollister $5,850 a month for the lease, with adjustments for inflation built into the terms of the agreement.

Source: Larry Page's flying car company wants to expand

Engineer Designs Gyrocopter-Like Motorcycle Flying Car

Engineers have been trying to design flying cars for many years now, and one tinkerer has created one of the most interesting designs we have ever seen. Aerospace engineer Dezso Molnar has created a motorcycle-like gyrocopter inspired flying car concept which is a little out of the ordinary. He has taken his contraption out to the Mojave desert to test, and he can reach some pretty incredible speeds, but he isn't off of the ground yet.

Gyrocopters are like helicopters, but the rotors spin passively. The engine in gyrocopters instead propels the craft forward, and this forward motion is what spins the rotors overhead generating lift. Dezso wants to escape the common thought that flying cars can never be a reality for the everyday person, according to Popular Science. To do this, he created his flying car machine by himself in his garage. Granted, it likely required a significant monetary investment, but he was able to create an incredible machine. The motorcycle-style vehicle seen in the video will eventually be transformed into a gyrocopter. Dezso also plans on creating a flying car racing league out in the Mojave desert. That would likely attract quite the crowd and be something the world has never really seen before.

[Image Source: Bloomberg]
Source: Engineer Designs Gyrocopter-Like Motorcycle Flying Car

Awesome high-tech vehicles you'd kill for that are far from a Ferrari

You may have always longed for a Ferrari to cruise through the city like Ferris Bueller, but there are much cooler and more unusual vehicles up for grabs – if you're a multi-millionaire at least. We have picked the most incredible submersibles, planes and cars designed to let you soar through the clouds and explore the deepest reaches of the oceans. Well it's nice to dream.

The ICON A5 aeroplane

James Bond can turn his hand to flying any aeroplane at the drop of a hat – and now you can too, if you have some cash to splash. Promising speed and exhilaration, the ICON A5 is a plane for beginners and it's said anyone can fly it with just 20 hours of lessons. It has a 100 horsepower engine, 11 metre wingspan and top speed of 109 mph. The two-seater single-engine prop plane, which has yet to go into production, resembles a jet ski with wings, but handles like a small sports plane and can take-off and land on water or land – making it ideal for flying from a Caribbean love nest to a secluded cove for a spot of snorkelling.

The A5 is the world's first Light Sport Aircraft with a spin-resistant airframe and has a parachute for emergencies to let the plane glide slowly to Earth if a new pilot loses control. Incredibly, its wings fold up so it can towed on a trailer behind a car and take just two minutes to unfurl – they even double as a sunbathing deck and diving platform if the plane is floating on the water. An easy way to be the most popular playboy at an exclusive resort.

Price: Around $190,000 (£143,832)

The Shark Line yacht

The great white shark is one of the most formidably aerodynamic and powerful predators of the sea. Now you can rule the waves in a fierce yacht with streamlined body inspired by the beast. The 46-foot Shark Line yacht by Hyperlien is silver and black with teeth-shaped windows and a gill-inspired decoration down the side. But with a top speed of 43 knots it's more of a pleasure boat than a speedboat and couldn't outrun a great white. It works like any other speed boat, and is powered by two Volvo engines. The inside is a luxurious Tardis that the makes the two cabins feel much larger than they are and a large glass sunroof would let a lucky owner catch some rays and enjoy the fresh air while looking for a pretty harbour in which to moor up and eat some lobster.

Price: From $650,000 via Hyperlien (£492,055)

Triton sub

If you are bored of catching Pokemon and want to see some real monsters, this personal sub could help. Intrepid mariners who have wondered what lurks a mile beneath their boats can now explore the depths in the luxurious Triton 6600/2. The deep diving vessel can launch from a yacht to take its pilot 2000m below the waves in air conditioned and humidity controlled comfort. They can look out from the optically perfect, acrylic bubble that forms the hull, controlling the sub with a joystick that moves four electrically powered thrusters to navigate the dark, spooky depths full of strange creatures. A Triton sub was used to shoot the first footage of a giant squid, and in case a pilot meets a monster, the submersibles is fitted with life support systems that last 96 hours – plenty of time to escape from terrifying tentacles.

Price: $5.5 million (£4.2 million)

Pal V gyrocopter

Taking off and soaring over traffic is not just a day dream any more - flying cars are real and orders are being taken now. Petrol heads with licences for both planes and cars may want to put their name down for a PAL-V One. It's a three-wheeled gasoline powered car that on an airfield can transform into a gyroplane capable of flying over obstacles from traffic jams to mountain ranges at up to 97 knots. PAL-V's breakthrough is using tilting suspension to compensate for the high centre of gravity caused by the rotor on the roof. But unfortunately, taking off from the road is still only possible if you happen to live in the outback, so you'll have to find another way to beat rush hour on the M25.

Price: €500,000 (£420,286)

Morgan EV3

If you find Ferraris too flashy and vintage motors too slow, classic car company Morgan has got you covered. Underneath its hand-crafted EV3's body, which looks as if it belongs in the 1930s, lies an electric engine. The beautiful three-wheeled motor can go from 0-62mph in less than 90 seconds and has a range of 150 miles - enough to comb the countryside for the perfect picnic spot. It's the first Morgan vehicle to use composite carbon panels, with the lightweight material allowing it to weigh just 500kg. The car also has hand worked aluminium panels over an ash frame. As any 1930s gent may expect, the vehicle has a luxurious interior with leather seats, sumptuous carpet and period brass dials in a lacquered dashboard. Taking inspiration from the decade's aero-engine race cars and classic motorcycles, it has a liquid-cooled 46kWh motor driving the rear wheel, while the present day is represented by a 20kWh lithium battery encased in the tubular space frame chassis.

Price: From £33,330 plus tax, with production due to start in Q4 2016

WingBoard

Private jets may let you travel in style and luxury, but rich adrenaline junkies could soon soar through the sky like Marvel's Silver Surfer, using a 'WingBoard'. Engineers at Wyp Aviation have just put the V-shaped board through its paces in a wind tunnel, but their lofty ambition is for it to be towed by a plane, enabling a rider strapped to the board and holding the tow rope to perform death-defying tricks while 'surfing' the clouds. The WingBoard was originally a Kickstarter project but after three years work, the prototype has now notched up four hours of manned testing in an air runnel, letting the rider remain aloft in gusts of up to 75mph. It's sides are shaped like an aerofoil - a similar shape to a plane's wing - to generate lift and can be controlled and ridden like a wakeboard. The first flight will take place behind an aircraft in early 2017, if everything goes to plan, and rich daredevils could rent one for the price of a skydive.

Price: Between $15,000 and $30,000 when it goes on sale in mid-2017 (£11,355- £22,710)

Ripraw tank

If you have always fancied being in the army, but fear the discipline and danger, you can now buy your own personal tank to drive as a peacetime plaything. The Ripsaw EV2 was originally designed and built for the military as a high speed tank, setting the high-speed record for a light tank in the US Army, with a speed of 65mph, which is said to feel considerably faster. But now it's being produced as a luxury vehicle for those wanting something more intimidating than a Hummer. The four ton, 600 horsepower vehicle has two chunky treads and a cabin suspended over an exoskeleton made from steel and aluminium, with a Duramax turbodiesel V8 engine inside.

Said to be easy to drive thanks to a steering wheel instead of standard tank controls, the incredible vehicle is also designed to be comfortable and has 12 inches of suspension travel for a cushioned ride over rugged terrain, GPS for navigating off-road locations, external heat shields to keep things cool in the desert and even a leather interior with air conditioning. Each of the 18-foot long tanks is handmade and can be pimped to be faster or plusher.

Price: From $395,000 (£299,018)

Source: Awesome high-tech vehicles you'd kill for that are far from a Ferrari