It is the same as betting on SpaceX in some ways. You have to take a few moonshot bets.
You bet. Thanks!
YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
61–70 of 313 posts
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#62Kudos to the team!
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes no licence needed to fly our ultralight version JB10 and JB11 Jetpacks. Same rules apply to ultralight version of the Speeder.
How do the jetpacks comply with 14 CFR 103.1(e)(4) which requires powered ultralights to have "a power-off stall speed which does not exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed"?
Same way our jetpacks were accepted. Our stall speed is zero and with an engine out we can still control our flight path.
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#64With our environment going to hell, we don't need this. So much for the argument that capitalism entrusts wealth in the hands of a few for the benefit of all, or that wealth correlates to merit in any meaningful sense.
How do you do the economics on the value of the lives this can and will save?
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#65I know it's really hard to predict what people will or won't want in the future, but... Would people want this, even if it worked really well?
If they can get the cost down to <100K USD then I’d absolutely sign up for one, and I’m not even from the future!
Hey maybe one day we can get it down to that kind of level
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
To your point, all of those can be fatal for existing light aircraft.
True. To build on OPs point though, these aren't exactly comparable. Specifically, light aircraft: * are piloted by people who have to be certified pilots, which takes considerable training * are flown at higher altitudes than what this product's marketing is suggesting * are much more expensive to own/operate * are only allowed to take off from specific places (regional airports) that tend to be away from high popul…
Oh, I totally agree. I was attempting to make the point that purpose-built aircraft with more highly trained pilots still succumb to this. A random on a flying motorcycle doesn’t stand a chance.
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#67Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#68"The Speeder is “at least” two years of development time away from ending up in customer hands." vs. "Joby Aviation has spent the last decade developing their own electric motors and their current VTOL design from the ground up." [0] I'd guess that it's at least two years after development has completed in order to get through final certifications for whichever regulatory agencies have a say in this. [0] https://tech…
The 1/3rd scale prototype is flying. In a number of ways what we’re doing is simpler than JA. We’re confident we can achieve our time goals.
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#69Kudos to the team!
Thank you!
Re: YC's latest moonshot bet is a startup building a $380K “flying motorcycle”
#70They promised my generation flying cars growing up. They never, not a single time talked about flying motorcycles. I don't mean to be negative but here's a few questions: What happens when you hit turbulence? What happens if you get caught in a rainstorm? What happens if you fly into a flock of birds? What happens when you fly into lightning on a clear day? None of those have to be fatal in an airplane, but potential…
We probably have the highest wing loading of any aircraft, therefore the impact of turbulence is much less than fixed wing or helicopter. The pilot has belly strap and lock holding them to vehicle unless they need to release in an emergency in which case it has pyro cutter.
In rain you’d get wet just like riding a motorcycle on the road. The engines keep running fine.
Flying into birds is not recommended for any aircraft. They wouldn’t go into the engines but could hit the pilot then our safety systems would need to deploy.
Lightning usually won’t take an aircraft of any type out of the sky but may affect instruments.