So, I’ve met George Jetson. I am also acquainted with: his boy Elroy, midriff-bearing daughter Judy, and Jane, his wife. And while the tribulations of their future lives seem remarkably indistinguishable from those of our current era – over-worked, over stressed, still no cure for baldness – the one thing that makes me pine for their future projected lives is the fact that they get flying cars. Perhaps it’s all the sitting in traffic that does it. Or, maybe it’s the prospect of cruising over the Playboy Mansion on the way home that holds the appeal. Whatever it is, I want a car that does double duty as a flying machine. And it better look cool too.
Now, I remember reading a test in Cycle magazine of what was then called a dual-purpose bike. It was a Honda,all knobby tires and lots of suspension travel mated with lights and turn signals and everything else the Gubnint says you got to have to roll on the road. While the bike was intended to serve two masters, that of the off-road gods and those who ruled the macadam, what I remember distinctly is that Cycle averred the compromises necessary to allow such dual piety made the bike sadly incompetent at either.
That of course would’t be the case with a flying car because, well, FLYING CAR! I mean how cool would that be? Obviously cool enough that over the past 60 years or so a number of inventors have tried to come up with that elusive mix of road-worthiness and coffee, tea or me-ness. What I want to know from you is which one of those flying cars do you think is the most awesome?
Image source: The Blade
[youtube ouHkL7u9qLw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouHkL7u9qLw youtube]
The company that has actually flying one; the PALV – One
<img src="http://impressivemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/palv.png">
[youtube CajAq6ndJYE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CajAq6ndJYE youtube]
<img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4092/5039486353_c3d7b5df9f_z.jpg">
I think I'm doing it wrong…
What say we hijack this thread?
<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/f6f0f12e863c7ab064e9cdbe165a43cf/tumblr_mkqvc3WvfI1rvoixgo1_500.jpg">
Wheee!
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x3kR7QRQA0s/TB5pJPzgjBI/AAAAAAAADuc/7ypQzKXsYDg/s1600/04-jump.jpg" width="600" </img>
So. Much. Air.
<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/b7bf599b6ff518a95a3343597752c8eb/tumblr_mj24ov5SXe1qiuoc0o1_500.gif">
Guys, flying cars are supposed to be usable every day. Getting groceries, seating five. And being a Volvo, obviously.
<img src="http://williamgrady.com/storage/volvo/1985_volvo_740_Fly_large.jpg" width="600">
And dont forget about doing truck stuff.
<img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQCJU0C61l0PkZL8qKqtqV6vy8TzuARBTb0tu31QJ9KJbXYF_EBFg" width=550>
Also, have a good plan for landing.
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p48mRqySef0/URAMOV7mnPI/AAAAAAAAbf4/qMOExSJ6y-M/s1600/1.gif" width=550>
Inside view from jumping Raptor..
[youtube bne79lynlK4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bne79lynlK4 youtube]
Did somebody say Volvo?
<img src="http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2009/06/GA-hoppar.JPG">
Shedding unnecessary weight is essential in the flying car business. Heavy rubber be damned.
<img src="http://forum.streetlegaltv.com/photos/data/506/fgeneral_lee_jump.jpg" width=500>
Look away, look away, Dixie land!
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9atdIqJkd6o/T5A33g2MshI/AAAAAAAAAEg/ByLGyuksByo/s1600/satb+pic+2.jpg"width=500>
<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2guag0Wq91qdcd2wo1_500.jpg">
I bet 911s have a funky dynamic when they are in the air, compared to front engined cars.
I'd imagine they're better- that they wouldn't nose over as quickly.
I love this picture
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Jumping_911_Carrera_RS_2.7_in_Pinggau_(Bosch_Rallye_2010).jpg" width="600" </img>
I must go, Porsche Planet needs me.
<img src="http://www.autotrend.com/atg/graphics/00000001/p655.jpg" width="500/">
<img src="http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i61/FullCanvas/AlfaRomeo-T33StommelenNurburg1972.jpg"width=500>
[youtube 3zKSs2vH01Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zKSs2vH01Q youtube]
That looks incredibly fun. Also stupid dangerous. So here's some Volvos.
[youtube IDAv2-T4hXQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDAv2-T4hXQ youtube]
Nice!
Waaaay back in the 80s, when the 7 series first appeared, they had a TV ad where they drove on off the 2nd floor of a parking garage. It dove into the ground, slid along on on it's nose a bit, then flopped down onto its wheels. Nothing behind the front fenders was messed up. My first impressions of Volvos, and man, did it make a lasting impression on me.
I've been looking for that video for five years and counting.
I'm sure I've seen the video. It may be on the VHS-tape i about Volvo history I have somewhere…
No wait I think I found it.
[youtube 0huyp4Hsfig http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0huyp4Hsfig youtube]
You have no idea how happy you just made me.
[youtube kQhKUj6rE24 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhKUj6rE24 youtube]
[youtube _crqhU-fWYg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_crqhU-fWYg youtube]
It looks so happy!
<img src="http://www.racingexposure.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG_3696.jpg" width=500>
Flying cars are for wimps.
<img src="http://rideapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/GM-TT-THURS-TAS-980PX-660×4401.jpeg" width=550>
This guy thought he could just climb off when he realized he forgot his wallet:
<img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b28/striker1362/Cadwell%20Park%2013th%20May/Pic1.jpg" width="500" />
Motorcycles are hard.
Also, the flying is easy, the landing is a bit more difficult.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZJLS6BW.gif">
Exemplified here by my friend Bubba:
<img src="http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj485/madmacmo/dirt_bike_ramp_jump_on_fire_goes_wrong_zps12d343b9.gif">
I've seen the first and loved it.
I've never seen the second before now, and it's about 20 different kinds of horrible and hilarious. I can't stop watching it. Wow! Falling 40 feet while on fire! And intentionally!
My nuts shrink up into my abdomen every time he hits.
I have been lightly giggling at my desk for the past 40 minutes watching these both.
I have a dream a lot like that 1st one.
Maybe halfway between dream and nightmare, I guess.
Damn it! This isn't my hoverboard!
<img src="http://www.motorcycledirectory.co.uk/photos/files/images/437.jpg" width=400>
<img src="http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/91/eea8bcb6c14c4aa786621cf8e366f504/l.jpg" width="600">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i0NH3dXIHB4/UZuGIDYTPmI/AAAAAAAAEyg/xvXIP01oEjI/s400/tumblr_mjetqzBeNt1rpqn0wo2_400%255B1%255D.gif"> The consensus is Volvo wins again. Thanks again Wooter!
<img src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/flying_cars.png" width=600>
AMC Matador of course.
<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DyaBko9J2a0/UQSjGPWbYoI/AAAAAAAAgVg/GUvxmu0_Pfc/s1600/AMC+Matador+flying+car+The+Man+with+the+Golden+Gun+in+flight.jpg"width=500>
I always though the Matador had weird proportions.
The Moller Skycar prototype.
<img src="http://psipunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/flying-car-moller-skycar-m400-01.jpg"width="500"/>
So it's not just a moneymaking scam?
Apparently not…… .http://moller.com/dev/
Mark Webber's Mercedes CLR
<img src="http://www.mulsannescorner.com/CLRflip2.jpg" width="500" />
[youtube b31O4FmljGY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b31O4FmljGY youtube]
Porsche GT1 was able to stick the landing.
Flipping doesn't count as flying, otherwise anything not HCOTY is disqualified.
<img src="http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/461504/the-zombee-mgb-rolled-over-at-thunderhill-in-2009-the-car-was-nearly-obliterated-but-captain-pete-beat-it-back-into-something-vaguely-resembling-a-british-sports-car-legend-killer-zombees-photo-461578-s-1280×782.jpg" width=500>
I've done a similar sort of flying in an 88 Honda Civic. I don't recommend it.
Hmmph, everyone knows that Bees can fly even though the laws of physics prohibit it ! 🙂
What about his Redbull?
<img src="http://bartoszcze.blox.pl/resource/webber_valencia.jpg">
I'll tell you which one wasn't. The AVE Mizar. It was a Ford Pinto strapped to the flying gear of a Cessna Skymaster. What was most surprising about it was that it actually worked.
Until it didn't. One fateful day in 1973, the flying car suddenly became just a car again, several hundred feet above it's normal car environment. Which is also the normal environment for a horse, after which the Pinto was named.
Alas, the designer should've used a Falcon.
<img src="http://www.transeum.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/ave-mizar.jpg">
I'll just leave this here.[youtube Rug4jaPczls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rug4jaPczls youtube]
Eah, God, that makes my back hurt just looking at it.
My wife's grandfather worked at the GM Lakewood plant during WWII. He said his job was to go out and try to break the trucks they were building. I think he did a lot of similar stuff, but probably with GM trucks of some sort.
. . . and he lived the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
(will feel really horrible if he did)
Nope, still getting around fine. It took me several years to figure out why he didn't serve in the armed forces during WWII. He lied about his age and started working at GM when he was 16 or 17 (around 1941). By the time the draft got going big time he was deemed an essential defence contractor employee. He spent World War II hooning whatever GM was building at the Lakewood, GA (Atlanta) plant.
That's pretty awesome. Did they build any tanks? Because that would make it awesomer.
I can fly too.
<img src="http://depooh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Cape-Ring-Periphery_1.jpg"width="500"/>
Don't know about best flying car but I know of the greatest road racing plane….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtWoTBS3zEw
Pff, amateurs.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/AntonovA40.jpg" width="600">
In Soviet Russia….
<img src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/03-24-Hours-of-LeMons-Southern-Discomfort-2013-Saturday-Leaders-626×426.jpg">
Actually that's South Carolina, but I can see why you'd get the two confused… 🙂
Terribly funny that the car behind it has an actual wing section on its roof.
I'll just leave this here:
<img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n158/greg4656/WW2/the-flying-jeep.jpg">
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Avrocar_2.jpg/595px-Avrocar_2.jpg">
The contribution of Martian immigrants to Canada's history is often overlooked.
I really wish that thing had worked.
Ofcourse there's only one right answer.
<img src="http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jetsons.jpg" width="600">
Ford Fusion! Wait…
<img src="http://stwot.motortrend.com/files/2012/11/2013-Ford-Fusion-jump-623×389.jpg" width="500/">
"You lied to me."
"Cars cannot fly". Well, that's a lie of course. Sure, their glide slope ratio might not be great, but they'd fly somewhat if you kept it at just the right pitch angle!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2017062404/b-…
[youtube PJMQQg_Qmf0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJMQQg_Qmf0 youtube]
That is really neat.