Mention "car of the future" and most people think hybrids, alternative fuels, and
smart cars that drive themselves. But with traffic conjestion expected to double by the
latter half of the 21st century, city planners, the DOT, and even NASA are seriously
considering flying cars as a viable solution.
Hoping to tap into the ingenuity of folks tinkering around in their garages,
NASA is funding the
Personal Air Vehicle Challenge. The top prize of $250,000 will go to
the creator of a flying car that seats two to six people, has a 300-mile range, and gets
decent fuel economy.
NASA has also taken the initiative to develop an automated air traffic control system
for flying cars.
What will happen, explains Bushnell and Dr. Bruce Holmes, of NASA's General Aviation
Program Manager at Langley, is the development of aircraft that operate without human
pilots. Onboard computers will fly the aircraft and talk with other aircraft computers.
It will also confer with ground stations. This is to determine who is in line to land or
fly at this altitude and direction.
The passengers would simply climb into the flying car and tell it, "Take me to
Grandma's." The car's computer would answer, "Scenic route or the quick route?" and then
take control.
But before flying cars will even get off the ground, they need a much greater thrust
to weight ratio. This is especially important for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)
craft. To that end, HoverTech has been conducting feasibility studies on three radical
aerospace technologies, each capable of being electrically powered:
magnecraft, electrodynamic
propulsion, and vacuum blimps.
More about HoverTech's Theories >
