DARPA sponsors flying car

[phrostbyte]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/pentagon-approved-a-flying-car

I want one.

[Oxwivi]

How do they plan on storing the blades when on ground?

[lovinglinux]

They could avoid roadside bombs, but what about RPGs?

[eriktheblu]

It's a losing proposition. The advantage of ground vehicles is that they require less power to move than aircraft. This means you can stack on quite a bit more armor, weapons, personnel and equipment. The amount of lift required to get a HMMWV airborne is significantly greater than a HMMWV provides.

That much lift would require great wing surface area (rotary or fixed). This of course would make the vehicle quite cumbersome on the ground.

Now if the idea is to get the vehicles over large stretches of hazardous ground (minefields, ABC contamination, or even natural obstacles) one potential solution is to turn the ground vehicles into airships. The balloons themselves would of course be a significant storage concern. Helium would require large tanks and compressors to store the gas. A turbine engine might be employed for hot air, but I have no idea if you could get sufficient lift.

[Oxwivi]

Yesh~ If they plan on making a flying vehicle with road capabilities, it can't be as mobile and small as humvees.

[lovinglinux]

BTW, there is a thread about a civilian flying car somewhere. I can't find it right now, but the video is available on YT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo0MEQSGW8w).

[MasterNetra]

BTW, there is a thread about a civilian flying car somewhere. I can't find it right now, but the video is available on YT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo0MEQSGW8w).

Civilian Flying Car already developed:
http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=57

[lovinglinux]

Civilian Flying Car already developed:
http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=57

That one looks a lot better then one I posted, which looks more alike a drivable airplane.