Rap on the Practical Flying Car

By: Norm Goyer

This rap could also be titled “Dream On”, as the possibilities are very remote. Why? It certainly is not because inventors are not trying; currently, around the world, there are literally hundreds of designers and aeronautical engineers hard at work to bring this 100-year-old dream to fruition. In actuality, the FAA has certified two versions of the flying car, but neither was successful: They flew just fine, they drove on the streets just fine, but neither Molt Taylor’s Aerocar nor Robert Fulton’s Airphibian was produced in numbers. I saw Molt Taylor’s Aerocar fly at Sun ‘n Fun one year and that long drive shaft and the whole concept was, shall we say, “scary.” But it was certified by the FAA and there are still two examples left in existence. The only surviving Airphibian is ensconced in a museum in Canada.

The Moller has had outstanding publicity over the past few years. It is powered by eight Wankel-type rotary gas engines, two in each of the four pods.

Every driver in the world has dreamed of pulling back on the steering wheel and flying up and over the traffic jams that seem to plague all cities. Even cartoon characters like the Jetsons owned a flying car that could rip around their world in seconds, rather than suffer hours of frustrating bumper-to- bumper traffic. What are some of the drawbacks and obstacles facing these visionary designers of the future flying car? The two largest are the FAA of this country and related aviation governing bodies around the world. The second are the various federal and state motor vehicle laws designed to protect other drivers and their passengers. In some states, it is almost impossible to design a new car and have it meet all the safety developments and requirements of modern motor vehicles. One of my hobbies is the restoration and driving of air-cooled VWs such as the famous Bug. VW had to discontinue selling this car in the states because it could not meet safety requirements. Now if the VW Bug, one of the most successful vehicles of all times cannot meet current safety rules, what chance does a flying car have? In my opinion, not much.

The Gwinn Aero Car was also certified, but was very complex to convert from plane to car. The four wings had to be removed and the propeller taken off the aircraft. Several were sold, but production ceased after one crashed.

The “most do” list of a flying car is also quite demanding. For instance; it must be able to take off and land vertically; a long takeoff run or landing roll is not going to work. A flying car of the future must have a bullet-proof method of getting back onto the ground without harming pilot or passengers. This almost rules out current ballistic parachute systems which have saved hundreds of lives, but there are still times when the chute does not open, either a fault of the pilot, or the aircraft simply wasn’t high enough, and that is the crux of this particular problem. These cars will probably not be flying very high over other cars, homes or cities; just by their very nature; they will be flown hundreds and not thousands of feet above the ground. Remember that a hybrid airplane/car is neither a very good car nor a very good airplane; it is a compromise.
Molt Taylor designed and built one of the few FAA Certified flying cars. There is at least one still flying and is often seen at AirVenture or Sun ‘n Fun.

What type of a power plant will the future flying car have? I sincerely doubt that it will be an automobile or aircraft reciprocating gasoline engine. Look at the Moller M-400 Skycar. This flying car uses eight Wankel engines, two in each pod. Yes, you read it correctly, eight of them. If one of the two in each external pod stops, the other will have enough power to get it back on the ground. The SkyCar has been on more TV shows and magazine covers than any other plane/car in history. Yet, so far, it has only flown up to 50 feet before coming back down to land. Uninformed young reporters loved the concept and delved no further into the story. Millions of dollars, and decades of work have gone into this wild looking flying car. (The WWII P-51 Mustang was designed and built in 120 days) The designers now state that it is almost ready to take its place in the garages of suburbia. Yeah, right!

The Terrafugia is an example of current thinking with folding wings and space age design. Company photograph shows car with wings being folded at airport and then at home.

The boss man in all this craziness is the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) who is watching the developing flying car very carefully. There is not a doubt in anyone’s mind that the flying car’s day is coming, but not with existing technology. Will the successful flying car still have to leave extra parts at the airport, as earlier designs did? This was one of the reasons why they were not successful. In my opinion, you can rule out any type of gas engine or even multiple gas engines; too complicated. Ducted fans are a possibility as they would keep propellers and rotors safely enclosed. Rocket power used both for motivation and steering is another possibility. It works for Rocket Man in his carefully-chosen demonstrations and very short flights. Another question I have: Will the pilot of a Moller M-400 need a multiengine license? Current rules say they would. Will any insurance company offer policies for liability coverage to a flying car? I doubt that very much.

What is needed is a new gaseous liquid such as a Super Helium that will give a flying car neutral buoyancy; that is, if the engine/rocket/turbine/fuel cell/nuclear batteries stop functioning, the flying car will just sit there suspended in the air until the pilot calls for the AAA Flying Club wrecker to take him and his passengers safely back to his suburban garage. Dream on.

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