Flying car prototypes coming close to the reality

Imagination and concept pave the way to construction of reality. Since flying cars have long been the fantasy of people, there has been considerable work done by designers across the world to build a real model. Below is a list of those models that came closest to reality and regular use.

Terrafugia Transition

Transition is called a roadable aircraft by Terrafugia. It is a normal 4-wheeld motor car except for the fact that its design is least like a car, which is an obvious result of cumulation of automobile and aircraft. Transition is powered by unleaded gasoline pump, which can switch power between wheels and rear propeller as and when required. It has double-foldable wings that do not remain stretched out every time. People with normal license are permitted to drive it but a FAA sport license is required to fly it. Transition is permitted to be taken-off from or landed at airports and authorised airstrips, not otherwise. you can watch the car in action .

ParajetSkycar

 

Skycar is a dune buggy that is modelled to fly too. The car can fly with the help of its five-bladed propeller at its rear and fabric-wing that looks like a parachute or a parasail.Its wing, which is called parafoil by its developers, compactly fits into the trunk of the car. This model has made journey from London to Timbiktu in 2009.With engine, parafoil, suspension and seats, Skycar is indeed a car that can reach to the sky.you can see the parajetskycar’s first flight .

DARPA Project Transformer TX

 

This is still a project of Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency. The American agency is seriously investigating and investing on the scope of a flying car, which has already been named Transformer or TX. Transformer would be 4-seater SUV-like car on the ground that can attain the speed of a lightweight aircraft during flight. It has to switch rapidly from flight-mode to drive-mode and vice-versa. Its mechanisms would be relatively simpler and would incorporate automatic control for take-off and landing.

Icon A5

The A5 is a lightweight aircraft that can take-off from ground as well as water and land on the same too.It has both fuselage and retractable landing gear.It weighs less than 454 kg and has a wingspan of less than 11 mA5 requires less than 229 m of run to take-off or land. Its small foldable wings make it compact enough to fit into a mini truck. It is not being promoted as a commercial transportation-craft but as a sports entity.It is the innovation of Kirk Hawkins, who is a graduate from Stanford Business School and former Air Force Pilot. You can see a Video released by the company.
LaBiche FSC-1

 

A quarter-scale radio-controlled prototype of Flying Sports Car-1 or FSC-1 has already been successfully tested. It can attain speed of more than 280 km per hour on land and more than 440 km per hour during flight. It is much like a sports car but with numerous hatches and doors that contain components required for flight. The car is being designed to look no different from other cars to avoid fascinated pedestrians interference with its surface.You can watch the working of the model .

All these flying cars can be called at some or the other stages of development as none have been launched in the consumer market yet. However, with readyprototypes, that does not appear too far in time either.