"Flying Taxi" entrepreneur dies in test flight
Discussion
Sad news from yesterday. I can't find any other posts and you can argue amongst yourselves where it goes in "news" or "engineering"
The inventor of the flying taxi died yesterday after the jet dropped during a test flight.
full story here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/16/mike-d...
blatant copy and paste below
A British pilot and entrepreneur was killed yesterday after the innovative "flying taxi" commuter plane his company is developing crashed and burst into flames during a test flight.
Mike Dacre, 53, the creator of the Jetpod aircraft, died instantly after the plane fell to the ground shortly after taking off from an airstrip in Taiping, in north-west Malaysia. Avcen, Dacre's company, which was developing the eight-seater craft, is based in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The Jetpod, which Avcen had hoped to put into production next year, is designed as an innovative low-cost plane that can take off or land on short airstrips of 125 metres or less. This, and its low noise levels despite a cruising speed of 300mph, are intended to make it perfect for short trips over urban areas.
The Malaysia Star newspaper said Dacre was in the plane alone when it came down. One witness, Halim Hamid, said he had seen the plane attempt to take off several times before the crash.
Fire and rescue crews had been unable to save Dacre, who died from impact injuries and burns, the report added.
Dacre had described the Jetpod as "a workhorse, a taxi cab in the air, for on-demand free-roaming traffic", saying it would be most useful for travel to and from large, congested cities. He said: "We're not talking about travelling to Paris. The whole point about this aircraft is that it will scoot you from the countryside to the centre of London in two or three minutes."
The inventor of the flying taxi died yesterday after the jet dropped during a test flight.
full story here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/16/mike-d...
blatant copy and paste below
A British pilot and entrepreneur was killed yesterday after the innovative "flying taxi" commuter plane his company is developing crashed and burst into flames during a test flight.
Mike Dacre, 53, the creator of the Jetpod aircraft, died instantly after the plane fell to the ground shortly after taking off from an airstrip in Taiping, in north-west Malaysia. Avcen, Dacre's company, which was developing the eight-seater craft, is based in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The Jetpod, which Avcen had hoped to put into production next year, is designed as an innovative low-cost plane that can take off or land on short airstrips of 125 metres or less. This, and its low noise levels despite a cruising speed of 300mph, are intended to make it perfect for short trips over urban areas.
The Malaysia Star newspaper said Dacre was in the plane alone when it came down. One witness, Halim Hamid, said he had seen the plane attempt to take off several times before the crash.
Fire and rescue crews had been unable to save Dacre, who died from impact injuries and burns, the report added.
Dacre had described the Jetpod as "a workhorse, a taxi cab in the air, for on-demand free-roaming traffic", saying it would be most useful for travel to and from large, congested cities. He said: "We're not talking about travelling to Paris. The whole point about this aircraft is that it will scoot you from the countryside to the centre of London in two or three minutes."
There is no business need for such a vehicle.
There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countenance.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countenance.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 17th August 10:26
Eric Mc said:
There is no business need for such a vehicle.
There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countennace.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Would have been good for the delivering of aid/supplys and medical staff to areas that are hard to reach if all they need is a 125m strip of land as an airstripThere is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countennace.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Flying cars of various sorts have been proposed since the dawn of aviation. Some have even been built. NONE have ever entered mainstream production.
I don't see any groundswell of interest in such contraptions and, as I said, I don't see the air traffic authorities ever giving permission for their useage.
Current light aircraft have enough trouble fitting into the air traffic system as it is.
I don't see any groundswell of interest in such contraptions and, as I said, I don't see the air traffic authorities ever giving permission for their useage.
Current light aircraft have enough trouble fitting into the air traffic system as it is.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 17th August 10:31
Eric Mc said:
There is no business need for such a vehicle.
There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countennace.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
No offense Eric, I respect your opinions, but please, please, don't ruin my visions for a Bladerunner style future. There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countennace.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Eric Mc said:
There is no business need for such a vehicle.
There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countenance.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Very CAA.There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countenance.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 17th August 10:26
In the US I would have thought a market exists.
telecat said:
Eric Mc said:
There is no business need for such a vehicle.
There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countenance.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Very CAA.There is also a major overiding flaw to all such "personal light transport" aircraft concepts. Air traffic control is extremely restrictive and the notion of having little aircraft whizzing about like cars or taxis - especially over built up areas such as towns or cities is just too much for the air traffic regulators to countenance.
We will never see such aircraft in widespread use.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 17th August 10:26
In the US I would have thought a market exists.
So far the market has never materialised.
Technically, such aircraft have been possible for at least 60 years but not one of the various projects launched since that time have been successful. Look at James Mays' excellent documentary on the Taylor Aerocar and you will see why the idea just doesn't work.
And it's not just the CAA. EVERY air safety regulatory body in the developed world is extremely wary of unfettered access to the air.
Technically, such aircraft have been possible for at least 60 years but not one of the various projects launched since that time have been successful. Look at James Mays' excellent documentary on the Taylor Aerocar and you will see why the idea just doesn't work.
And it's not just the CAA. EVERY air safety regulatory body in the developed world is extremely wary of unfettered access to the air.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 17th August 11:09
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