squirrel 0
Recommended Posts
ryoder 1,590
QuoteAs an air traffic controller, I see enough idiots in the air. God forbid we increase that by a power or two of 10.
John's worst nightmare: The personal flying vehicle with Truck Nuts hanging from the tail.
![[:/]](/uploads/emoticons/dry.png "[:/]"){kind=small}
"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.
JohnMitchell 16
billvon 3,116
.thumb.jpg.4bb795e2eaf21b8b300039a5e1ec7f92.jpg)
>but is it cost effective transportation or just a really cool, unreliable toy?
It's already cost-effective for some missions. Electric unmanned helicopters have already become reliable aerial photography and surveillance platforms. Multiple motors, reliable controllers and denser batteries have enabled this.
A personal transportation option is probably decades out, but a manned single person vehicle for reconnaissance, power line inspection, search and rescue, emergency repair and photography could be a very useful vehicle.
>In the realm of energy efficient flight, the powered glider model is still
>the most promising. VTOL takes a lot of horsepower to accomplish.
Agreed. But one is power and the other is energy. Batteries are excellent at power production, not as good at energy storage.
It's already cost-effective for some missions. Electric unmanned helicopters have already become reliable aerial photography and surveillance platforms. Multiple motors, reliable controllers and denser batteries have enabled this.
A personal transportation option is probably decades out, but a manned single person vehicle for reconnaissance, power line inspection, search and rescue, emergency repair and photography could be a very useful vehicle.
>In the realm of energy efficient flight, the powered glider model is still
>the most promising. VTOL takes a lot of horsepower to accomplish.
Agreed. But one is power and the other is energy. Batteries are excellent at power production, not as good at energy storage.
Unless it lands itself and has a ceiling of 15k count me out... How else and I going to jump from it!
Travis Roy Foundation. At very least its a tax write off
riddler 0
A ballistic parachute will be necessary, like on the Cirrus, if this is supposed to be for the mass consumer market. It's not like a Seque, getting a flat tire, when the thing breaks, people will die.
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD
quade 4
QuoteA ballistic parachute will be necessary . . .
I'd mentioned that elsewhere. I thought it was here, but I guess I only made that comment on FB.
In addition, I think it would also require a way to jettison the props since I don't see any way the props and a ballistic parachute recovery system would be compatible with this design.
The V-22 props break apart in the event of a landing requiring they be kept in the forward position. I'd hate to be inside this thing during an engine out and a potential belly landing . . . which really would be a belly landing!
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver
The World's Most Boring Skydiver
QuoteNASA must be trying to pump up all of us airplane geeks so they get more funding. I'm sure the technology is there to do this, but is it cost effective transportation or just a really cool, unreliable toy? I agree with Skybastard that the personal flying vehicle is more of a sci fi pipe dream than a practical reality. As an air traffic controller, I see enough idiots in the air. God forbid we increase that by a power or two of 10.
In the realm of energy efficient flight, the powered glider model is still the most promising. VTOL takes a lot of horsepower to accomplish.
Not for more funding. It's part of our mission statement. In addition to the space program, NASA it is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research. Cool huh?!
Tink1717 2
Unless heavily subsidized in price, it will be way too expensive for the average Joe, plus there is no way the airspace management system can handle the numbers. Can you imagine the lawyer ads on TV from the resulting crashes that will inevitably happen?
Have you or a loved one suffered injury from falling airplane parts, then call Dewy, Cheatem & Howe for a free consultation! Don't let them rain down on you without paying! Call now!
Just what we need, more lawsuits.
Have you or a loved one suffered injury from falling airplane parts, then call Dewy, Cheatem & Howe for a free consultation! Don't let them rain down on you without paying! Call now!
Just what we need, more lawsuits.
Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717
Andy9o8 2
See? Every cloud has its silver lining.
riddler 0
Quoteplus there is no way the airspace management system can handle the numbers.
When automobiles became affordable, there was no way that they could afford the roads or traffic lights/signs. But people drove anyway, and eventually, the government put in the infrastructure necessary.
The government never leads on future planning - they are always, in every case, lagging behind, and playing catch-up. If more people start flying as a way to commute, they will make changes necessary to support that.
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD
Tink1717 2
QuoteIf more people start flying as a way to commute, they will make changes necessary to support that.
How? You can't fix stupid. They've been trying since the beginning of time. The general public is too stupid to handle this. The congress, all of them at all
levels, are too stupid to handle this. It would be an unmitigated disaster.
Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717
billvon 3,116
>How? You can't fix stupid.
No - yet hundreds of millions people drive without killing themselves all that often.
>The general public is too stupid to handle this.
You could say the same about driving (and some really believe this.) As a technological problem, it is solvable.
No - yet hundreds of millions people drive without killing themselves all that often.
>The general public is too stupid to handle this.
You could say the same about driving (and some really believe this.) As a technological problem, it is solvable.
quade 4
Quote>How? You can't fix stupid.
No - yet hundreds of millions people drive without killing themselves all that often.
Flying is at least an order of magnitude more dangerous simply because when the engine fails cars usually don't crash. When cars do crash, it usually doesn't rain aluminum.
Quote
>The general public is too stupid to handle this.
You could say the same about driving (and some really believe this.) As a technological problem, it is solvable.
I think the only way it's solvable is to completely remove the human pilot from the equation. You enter the vehicle, tell it where you want to go and some magical infrastructure that currently doesn't exist coordinates everything from power up to navigation to landing and all without any further interaction from the human inside.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver
The World's Most Boring Skydiver
like this one. http://www.electraflyer.com/trike.php
i fly a gas powered trike, and I would love to have one of these for simple soaring only flights. no oil, no fuel, no mess.
________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?
Share this post
Link to post
Share on other sites