Flying cars making the headlines
The flying car has been a regular recurrence in science fiction for many decades. But some concepts are driving (and flying) this idea closer to reality – promising to transform the world of private transport, and ease congestion on the roads.
Recently a number of new initiatives have attracted investment and made headlines, so here’s our round-up of some of the key contenders.
Lilium
Currently at the scaled-down prototype stage, Lilium is the brainchild of a German designer, backed by the European Space Agency.
In addition to being all-electric, its VTOL (vertical take off and landing) design means it only needs a flat area of 15 m² to take off and land.
Living in your garage, after take-off Lilium will be able to cover 500 km at a cruise speed of 400 km/h. Lilium Aviation says it will have a full-size version ready later in 2017, with plans to open the order book in 2018.
Airbus Pop.up
Airbus is also involved in flying car development via its Urban Air Mobility division and has a number of concepts in development.
The aviation giant recently provided a first look at Pop.up, one of its self-driving personal flying vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show. The fully electric vehicle is designed to be used on the ground and in the air, with passengers being able to ride inside a capsule that connects to a wheeled base, that is driven on the street.
Airbus says the technology could become a reality within five to ten years.
Kitty Hawk (Google’s ‘Flying Car’)
Google co-founder, Larry Page, recently made news thanks to a video of him demonstrating a new prototype for an ultralight VTOL aircraft – designed for operation over open water.
Design and engineering company Kitty Hawk says it has received approval from the FAA for its Kitty Hawk Flyer to be flown in ‘uncongested areas’ and customers won’t need a pilot’s license to use it.
The Flyer is expected to go on sale by the end of this year, according to the company’s website, but the price has yet to be announced.
Uber’s flying taxis
Uber is also investing heavily in flying car concepts. In April, it announced plans to roll out a fleet of electric flying cars by 2020, capable of taking off vertically and flying 100 miles in 40 minutes. These will not be like conventional helicopters, with Uber claiming they will be quieter, safer and designed for urban environments.
Uber is forming partnerships with aircraft companies including Embraer to make its vision a reality. Dubai and Dallas are the proposed test cities and there are plans to fly a prototype at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.
When will flying cars be a reality?
While the technology may be getting closer, one of the biggest hurdles towards making flying cars a reality is the licensing requirements to fly passengers commercially.
The aviation authorities will rightly make safety remains the top priority when it comes to these new developments, which means it could take years before it can be introduced commercially. And we’d expect to see approval reached in the Middle East or Asia, before the FAA and EASA are happy to sign off flying cars in the US and Europe.
Another barrier is who will fly them: Autopilot? Qualified pilots? Or will it be as easy as passing a driving license? Aviation is facing a pilot shortage at the moment and if thousands of qualified pilots are required, we may find that there’s simply not enough people to fulfil demand.
And while some concepts don’t require a licensed pilot and others don’t need a pilot at all – many passengers may feel uneasy about them. There’s still a way to go before driverless cars become a reality, and this will need to be widely-accepted on the ground, before pilotless aircraft take flight.
So while we’re edging towards this next big change in aviation – there’s still a long way to go. Nevertheless, it’s exciting to see such growing investment and confidence in these innovations.
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