Years after the invention of the airplanes, scientists have now started to work on the flying cars. Researchers had been experimenting on the flying cars for a long time. To make the dream come true, scientists are coming up with solutions to overcome the challenges. Despite the challenges, the future of the flying cars looks promising. As of now, various models of flying cars are being tested to suggest the perfect flying car. Some of them are:
Switchblade
Switch blade is a two seated vehicle with three wheels. Designed by Samson motor works, the vehicle can be used as a car and an aircraft. The body of the Switchblade is made from lightweight carbon fiber. The vehicle stretches out its wings and extends its tail to take off. The controls used for flying can be enclosed under the chassis when the vehicle is grounded. The vehicle uses a 4-stroke engine with a capacity of 1350cc. The shape of the vehicle resembles a buggy and it can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour. The Company is planning to sell the airplane kit around sixty thousand dollars and the customer should nearly build the 50 percent of the product himself.
Switchblade has serious aerodynamic issues and the flying characteristic of the vehicle is limited due to the inability of the vehicle to be stable in the air. The vehicle gets power for the blades from the motorcycle engine. Moreover, according to experts, the performance of the engine will not be as effective as it is on ground.
Transition
Transition is a high tech flying car designed by Terrafugia. It looks like a sports aircraft while flying. The wingspan measures around 26ft and 6”. The Transition has a wide bumper at the front and the vehicle will not rise above 300ft. The performance of the vehicle is affected by its practical limitations. Normally the wings of an airplane must be maintained at a particular speed and angle to lift the vehicle. As a common practice, the engineers placed the landing gear near the center of gravity of the plane, which allows the plane to take off and land at very slow speed. Like most of the flying cars, the wheels of the Transition are placed within the chassis.
The simulation model suggests that the stabilizers, wheels and the canards hinder the performance of the vehicle. The pilots find it difficult to raise the nose of the vehicle.
The Puffin
The Puffin is an aircraft that can carry only one person. Mark Moore from NASA developed it. The ultimate goal of this vehicle was to take a person to his office. It has two engines which are powered by the batteries which weigh around hundred pounds. It takes off upright from the ground and looks more or less like a bicycle flying. However, people will not prefer to fly in an inclined position.