The Long Wait for Sky Cars from the “Wrong Brothers”
It took just two men and their commitment to their belief to set the ball rolling in aviation. It is now one hundred and nine years long from those first steps by the Wright brothers. The sector over the years has seen wonderful innovations like the supersonic, vertical take off and landing jets among many others. All this not withstanding, it is yet to attain the availability and ease of ownership that the motor car has. Hence that long desire of most men to have a vehicle that can fly is yet to be met. Well maybe not for much longer, as companies like Terrafugia seem to be breaking new ground in that sphere.
The Woburn, Massachusetts based company having completed test flights for its prototype the Transition, is set to start making deliveries next year for the orders it has. A single craft goes for as much as $279,000, which still makes it way out of common reach.
In the Netherlands, other companies seem to be coming up with their own variations. One of note is the PAL-V One by Baileybrugweg based PAL-V Europe N.V. Its vehicle takes the gyrocopter approach, offering a two seat hybrid car.
While welcome adaptations in the quest for the flying car, the major handicap these vehicles seem to have is that they fall short of existing vehicles from which they make their hybrids.
Take for example, the Transition looks awkward for a car, and its speed of 110km/h is not exactly top notch for road vehicles. So the key at this stage according to its CEO is to tap into that special niche that doesn't fly too far afield and yet needs a means to get around when on the ground.
Image source: Terrafugia, Etsu, and Pal-V
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