Avcen Jetpod Sky Taxi
Flying cars have captured the imagination of people around the world ever since the idea of flying and driving have entered our consciousness. In 1903 the Wright Brothers got airborne and ever since there have been predictions of flying cars in no time at all.
As an avid aviation fan, I must admit that having the sky full of average drivers is not the most comforting thought, but perhaps automation can help ease the concerns of mid-air collisions and human disregard for rules of the air.
So as we press forward in our human quest for easy transportation from densely populated urban sprawl, and luxury travel that does not involve stopping at multiple airports for a simple cross-country jaunt, I thought I might summarize some of the offereings from hardy individuals and lone entrepenours looking to enter the mini-aviation market.
First, there is the NASA challenge for developers to increase utilization rates of small airfields to reduce congestion on the ground and in the air around large airfields. The Small Aircraft Transportation System envisions 4-10 passenger aircraft that can move people to their final destination without delays associated with transiting a hub. Door-to-door service via the underutilized smaller airfields. Unfortunately, I found the NASA website to have fallen out of date and could only locate a factsheet on SATS. Only Embry Riddle Aeronautical University maintains the NASA information on SATS.
Actual contenders for the SATS program consist of the Aven Jetpod Sky Taxi (pictured above). I place this one first since the force behind this sadly died today in a crash shortly after takeoff. On Aug 17, 2009, the 53 inventor was taking his prototype out for a spin and died in a fiery crash in Malaysia. The aircraft was scheduled to begin production in 2010 and looked to be an implementable concept.
The Terrafugia Transition being built by MIT grads who got together and launched this car-like airplane. It has flown in ground effect, but no higher and no farther.
The Parajet SkyCar is a dune buggy with a glider wing and backup parachute. Cool for short trips down off the moutain, but not sure I’d feel comfortable landing in a cross wind in a metropolitan sprawl.
Others that I planned to include in this article seemed to be either stuck in design phase without testing, or embroiled in litigation over loss of funding. I hope that a year from now, the designs will be ready for production so that we can enter the 21st century with a new phase of aviation that makes travel friendlier and closer to home.
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