Why We’re Not Driving the Friendly Skies
The new york time
The new york time
The dream of creating a flying car has reduced many would-be inventors to despair as they grasped the immensity of the engineering and design challenges of the divergent natures of airplanes and cars.
A number of us can thank a cartoon character from the future, George Jetson, for instilling our longing. Students of aviation history might look for inspiration to the Autoplane prototype built in 1917 by the flight pioneer Glenn Curtiss. And tens of millions of motorists who have been stuck in traffic jams stretching toward the horizon must also feel a need to know: Where are the flying cars?
It’s a dream that has reduced many would-be inventors to despair as they grasped the immensity of the engineering and design challenges rooted in the widely divergent natures of airplanes and cars. Cars must provide occupants with comfort, decent handling and braking and protection in the event of an accident — while complying with government air-pollution and fuel-economy standards. Keeping weight to a minimum is important, but a few extra pounds here and there can be tolerated.
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