RE: Dutch flying car swoops into Geneva

[fatbutt]

Andehh said:

Well said that man! I fully agree.

Very cool, not my thing at all, but impressive none the less!

The point is that its not a flying car. Its not the first autogyro to drive around either. Its less negativity about their accomplishment, more negativity towards the article.

There will never be a flying 'car'. Is a plane that lands on water a flying boat? No, its a plane that floats. This is an autogyro that drives.

The closest thing to 'personalised flying transport' will almost certainly be drone/ quad copter based.

[ATM]

AW111 said:

ATM said:

I have been in an autogyro once. I have been in a helicopter once. So I AM guessing here.

I believe the autogyro big prop thing on the top generates lift as it spins. However it also has a smaller prop on the back to generate forward thrust. These 2 are connected so if one spins the other has to spin. This is largely similar to helicopter but on a helicopter the rear prop does not generate forward thrust instead it prevents the body of the chopper spinning the opposite way to the propeller on the top. So think of the rear prop on a chopper as a keel. An auto gyro can not go straight up or down, it has to go forward. It can go forward slowly which makes it drop quickly. An auto gyro can also fly or glide without the engine on as the rear prop thing effectively generates drive or energy like a wind turbine as it moves forward through the air. As the 2 props are connected this energy then drives the big one on top. The big one on top then generates lift.

How was that?

Wrong.
The lift rotor is free-spinning. Not connected to the drive (rear) rotor.

Close then?

[skint_driver]

Economic cruise speed: 140 km/h
High cruise speed (90% range): 160 km/h
Maximum speed: 180 km/h
Min speed for level flight: 50 km/h
Engine power: 200 hp
Maximum operating altitude: 3500m
Useful load: 246 kg
Take-off roll (MTOW, MSL): 180m
Take-off distance (+ 15m obstacle clearance) (MTOW***, MSL****): 330m
Landing roll distance: 30m
Fuel economy: 26 l/h
Max Range (with ½ hour reserve fuel*, MTOW): 400 km
Max Range (with ½ hour reserve fuel, single person operation, MSL): 500 km
Max endurance (with ½ hour reserve fuel, MTOW): 4.3 hours

[Fetchez la vache]

GT119 said:

Don't google 'Dutch helicopter' whatever you do

ooOOOooooh... So *that's* why they were sitting round the table looking excitedly at a butt-plug

[Clive-sz8cz]

GT119 said:

Don't google 'Dutch helicopter' whatever you do

Damnit, I did.

[V8 FOU]

Brilliant! I want one.

The takeoff distance isn't too bad - must be a straight enough bit with no traffic on the local dual carriageway.....

[tylerama]

GT119 said:

Don't google 'Dutch helicopter' whatever you do

[hammo19]

Errr.....you could just buy a helicopter.

[Yipper]

There are a few of these already being touted around China and the US, as flying taxis for businesspeople to skip jams in crowded cities.

Sat in one briefly (on the ground) in Shanghai last year. Didn't feel particularly sturdy. They are basically giant drones with a seat or two and some wheels.

Given the high-risk nature of private helicopters, a private flying car is going to require some leap of faith.

As for price, you can pick up a second-hand proper copter in good order for ~£100k, so this flying car is a touch expensive at £200-500k.

[aaron_2000]

Yipper said:

Sat in one briefly (on the ground) in Shanghai last year. Didn't feel particularly sturdy. They are basically giant drones with a seat or two and some wheels.

Guessing they gave you VIP access?

[RoachM]

Not sure how well these will actually ever end up doing. Not sure how they are better than a helicopter or something for example. Uber seems to be up on making a similar product a reality also, so it will be interesting to see how it develops.