I noticed this a while ago, that flying cars will only become real when self driving tech is progressed far enough that you have self-flying cars. Interesting to see that as a real project.
Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
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Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 1) Efficiency. I expect it will always be more efficient to roll an object on wheels than to keep an object lifted under power and moving forward at the same time. Rolling friction is not very high. This and safety are major reasons we don't have flying cars today. Prop planes are in the sub 20 mpg range and jets are in the gallons per mile. >2) Reduce congestion I think that autonomous cars (on the ground) will so…
You have to take into account more than just the pure physical efficiency of rolling cars vs. flying. There is the practical efficiency too. When I drive my car to work, I have to take a big dogleg out to the motorway, sit in traffic for 5 minutes to join, then drive down the motorway which is winding between the towns but mostly going the right direction, then take another big dogleg off + traffic, and finally I'm a…
That's a good point. Although the VTOL aspect is still very energy consumptive.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#83Helicopters and small planes already exist. We might have autonomous helicopters and small planes in the future, but flying car concept is flawed and not because it's hard to build one. - Preflight checks and flight safety. Larry should first build normal small aircraft that can do without constant manual checks before flight. This is actually good subgoal to work with even without flying cars in mind. Reliable infra…
>>In the meantime try to get new helicopter landing sites approved in your neighborhood. Which takes us right back to the noise issue which needs to be solved, first. 'Till then, no way. Helicopters (nicknamed 'choppers' for good reason) buzzing over neighborhoods aren't exactly the average homeowner's dream. The "whapwhapwhapwhap" of a helicopter overhead, reverberating through a home, is just as desirable as open-p…
I don't think cities have the ability to regulate helicopters. Airspace is regulated by the FAA, which pre-empts the states from regulating them further. I remember reading an article about some city where helicopter noise had become a problem and they couldn't do much about it. Although I suppose with enough complaints the FAA might change their rules.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
Energy density of jet fuel and gasoline is something like 45-46 MJ/kg. All rechargeable lithium-whatever batteries have less than MJ/kg. Turboprops are efficient and reliable. They have good power-to-weight ratio. Currently electric motors are good only for things like gliders that need relatively little power.
If self-flying taxi average flight times are 15 min, does this matter?
It does if you want to operate your self-flying taxi in an economically sound manner. All the time that it is on the ground it is not making money. Which means you'll be charging it when the number of requested rides is low, so you'll need to make a number (possibly quite a large number) of 15 minute rides before you get to recharge.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#85Every time I see an article on flying cars, I can't help but be reminded of an old IBM commercial[0] from 2000. Deliciously ironic considering it represented the fact that mainstream culture had all but written off the idea entirely. [0] https://youtube.com/watch?v=vzm6pvHPSGo
More disappointingly, we still can't just walk out of a store with goods and have it charge us. That said, the idea of all the products having RF things on them would be ultra creepy, so I'm guessing that's the limiting factor.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#86I just emailed the people at Moller this week asking them what the biggest challenge in making a flying car was. Their reply was: Thanks for reaching out to Moller International. Your question is a good one, with a multitude of answers. For now, I’ll explain 3 of the biggest factors. First, there is a lot of FAA and government regulations regarding aircraft. Airworthiness certification is a lengthy process, and depen…
And of course the #1 reason: developing an economical, practical flying car is very hard within the constraints set by physics.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#87I just emailed the people at Moller this week asking them what the biggest challenge in making a flying car was. Their reply was: Thanks for reaching out to Moller International. Your question is a good one, with a multitude of answers. For now, I’ll explain 3 of the biggest factors. First, there is a lot of FAA and government regulations regarding aircraft. Airworthiness certification is a lengthy process, and depen…
And of course the #1 reason: developing an economical, practical flying car is very hard within the constraints set by physics.
Well even if it works the #2 reason is you have to have a qualified person to fly it.
One quick glance between US Driving Regulations and Tests versus FAA Pilot Certification programs reveals the two are very divergent. I've yet to see an IFR-conditions capable car. Not saying it isn't possible, but just spitballing the technical and competency thresholds here.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#88As long as there's the FAA involved, flying cars are a stupid idea. They are shitty cars if they're any good at being airplanes, and they're underperforming and over-priced airplanes just because they can somewhat function as a car. Now, if Larry Page's flying car company is also lobbying to gut the FAA's ability to regulate his creation, that's a whole other can of worms. I don't think personal flight devices are a…
Flying cars would be a product for the world market. The FAA only controls a small part of that airspace.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#89I'm sure this is something Elon Musk would be trying to make, too, because there's a lot of expertise that his companies already have to build something like this: autonomous tech, rocket engineers, batteries, electric powertrains, solar panels, and he has already said he would probably build an electric airplane next. If only he had the money to experiment with something like this. That's why I'm hoping that Apple b…
Funny how many tweeters are explaining Musk's joke back to him.
Re: Larry Page’s startups working on flying cars
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your first point makes sense, but if the flying cars are fully electric then I'm not sure how much of the work to make existing small aircraft totally reliable would be applicable to such a different machine. I guess that leads on to the question of, why not start by making an electric self-maintaining self-flying Cessna?
Energy density of jet fuel and gasoline is something like 45-46 MJ/kg. All rechargeable lithium-whatever batteries have less than MJ/kg. Turboprops are efficient and reliable. They have good power-to-weight ratio. Currently electric motors are good only for things like gliders that need relatively little power.
Blimps would also be viable. You can significantly reduce the required energy to get them to move