USAF test their latest prototype aircraft..
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USAF test their latest prototype aircraft..
Well, that's different..
https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/...ce_flying_car/
The US Air Force has revealed a prototype of a flying car, something the American military has desired for at least a decade.
The latest build is single-person aircraft – specifically, a version of the Lift Hexa copter, which uses 18 electric motors that allow it to take off and land vertically. The vehicle was put through its paces last Friday at the Texas State Guard's Camp Mabry base.
The latest build is single-person aircraft – specifically, a version of the Lift Hexa copter, which uses 18 electric motors that allow it to take off and land vertically. The vehicle was put through its paces last Friday at the Texas State Guard's Camp Mabry base.
Useful as long as there is a suitable battlefield charging point as well as a 90 minute truce while it gets recharged back up to a usable power level..... 
Will it still fly if one, two or three props get knocked out, i.e. shape adjustable, I wonder?
So apart from the noise, the dust cloud and the likelihood of ingesting much of the foliage, the Piazecki seems like a very stealthy and well-thought out project
This looks much better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_J4pJBow00
https://terrafugia.com/transition/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_J4pJBow00
https://terrafugia.com/transition/
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Japanese version looks good
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meanwhile in the UK
"......... Desired for a decade". Good grief!
Military Aircraft, Ian Allen, 1956
What on earth is the problem? Take your pick; everybody had one in 1956.
One suspects that, rather like Jack Northrop's Flying Wing, this is a brilliant idea that has been in a holding pattern for 60-odd years, waiting for the technology to catch up with the concept.
Nice to see that Europe was holding its own back then. One hopes that the Test Pilot of USAF's current project will follow M. Sablier's lead and trade his shorts/tee-shirt combo for more sensible tweeds, tie and moto-helmet. It must have been chilly at 8,000 feet above le Bourget.
(Note, 6 hp by the way. And no, I've no idea about anti-torque).
Military Aircraft, Ian Allen, 1956
What on earth is the problem? Take your pick; everybody had one in 1956.
One suspects that, rather like Jack Northrop's Flying Wing, this is a brilliant idea that has been in a holding pattern for 60-odd years, waiting for the technology to catch up with the concept.
Nice to see that Europe was holding its own back then. One hopes that the Test Pilot of USAF's current project will follow M. Sablier's lead and trade his shorts/tee-shirt combo for more sensible tweeds, tie and moto-helmet. It must have been chilly at 8,000 feet above le Bourget.
(Note, 6 hp by the way. And no, I've no idea about anti-torque).
Although getting better, solar panels would not provide nearly enough juice for any type of useful return. For a ground recharge my guess is a small panel would take hours to supply enough charge for likely a few seconds of flight at full power, plus the extra weight of panels, wires and inverters.