US military developing flying car

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | December 1, 2010

[Stoat]

The vehicle would function just like a big four-wheel-drive Humvee when on the ground.

But it would also be able to take off like a helicopter and fly away from trouble or to avoid enemy road blocks.

Part of the American research and development money, worth £41 million and led by American defence and aerospace firm AAI, has gone to US firm Terrafugia which is already developing the world's first flying production car.

 

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency wants to develop a four person flyable and road worthy vehicle.

Terrafugia, which has developed the Transition Flying Car , is the largest subcontractor to one of two winning teams.

The vehicle, known as the Transformer, or TX, would have what the project bosses describe as "unprecedented capability to avoid traditional and asymmetrical threats while avoiding road obstructions."

[Stoat]

The vehicle will be able to travel 280 miles by land and air, using vertical take-off and landing to increase access to difficult terrain

 

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More:

 

Terrafugia - Transition®, the Roadable Light Sport Aircraft Home

 

Video Terrafugia Transition transforms from car to plane - Telegraph

 

Related Free Republic threads:

 

DARPA Asks for a Flying Car, Gets a Dual-Rotor Road Warrior Turned Helo

 

Pictures New Flying-Car Design Revealed

 

Terrafugia's Flying Car Gets FAA Clearance

 

 

[Joe 6-pack]

[freedumb2003]

We were promised these when we were kids, dang it!

Hopefully the commercial version will be right behind the military one...

[rockinqsranch]

Eat your heart out Daddy Warbucks.

[woerm]

Or they could call Moller international and buy an off the shelf air car.

</Sarc>

[Stoat]

Hopefully the commercial version will be right behind the military one...

You are already able to get on a waiting list for the FAA-approved civilian version.

 

Terrafugia - Transition® the Roadable Light Sport Aircraft Order Today

Hopefully the commercial version will be right behind the military one...

[GeronL]

is it carbon neutral and run on solar panels?

/sarc

[E. Pluribus Unum]

That flying Waring blender will kill more troops than the enemy.

[FrankR]

Don’t tell me...it solar powered, right?

[Billthedrill]

[Sax]

How is the weight of an up-armored humvee type vehicle going to balance with being light enough to fly? This thing would need a huge honking power plant I would think.

Seems like a crappy compromise in the making.

[C210N]

[WayneS]

My own experiments with ‘flying cars’ during my misspent youth ended in abject failure an high insurance rates...

[WayneS]

My own experiments with ‘flying cars’ during my misspent youth ended in abject failure and high insurance rates...

[PATRIOT1876]

Will Mr. Spacely be more upset now if I'm late since my Jetson car can fly at 270mph?

[MrB]

Dude... you can buy one in Hammacher-Schlemmer:

Flying Car $350,000

[ken5050]

Bingo...spot on..also..assuming it does get off the ground, it would seem to be a sitting duck for very small SAMs and even RPGs..heck..a 50cal could bring it down easily....

[a fool in paradise]

“Am I cleared to drive?”

[Kirkwood]

[wolfman23601]

So much for high speed rail. Paging Willie Green...