When can flying cars really take off?

Flying cars have fascinated us for decades. If you had a TV in your home in the 1990s, there is a high chance that you watched the flying DMC Delorean in the series 'Back to the Future', set in the year 2015. When Marty McFly flew to the sky in the show, perhaps you imagined the cars of the 21st century to look like that.

Looking back at when it all started

Before the 21st century, flying cars seemed feasible only as a vision for a western world which was struggling with congested roads. To tackle it, people wanted to incorporate air travel into the day to day mobility, easing life.

When the Wright brothers' first flight took to the sky in 1903, the seed of airborne cars was sown right after. Visionaries like Glenn Curtiss and Henry Ford toyed with the idea of personal flight in the early 20th century.

In 1917, Glenn Curtiss displayed his 'Autoplane' to the world at the Pan-American Aeronautical Exposition. It was actually based on a Ford Model T with wings transplanted from one of his own aeroplane company's trainer planes, the Curtiss Model L.

However, unlike an aircraft, its wing and tail could be detached, and it could be used as a regular car.

Since then, several people have attempted to create a flying consumer vehicle. However, most attempts either failed, inflicted injuries on their creators during test flights, or were returned to the shelves due to feasibility issues.

Those that succeeded, such as the AC-35, built by the Autogiro Company of America or the Hafner Rotabuggy, built by the British Army, had their progress halted during World War II. None were able to achieve their anticipated commercial success.
It was after World War II that the flying cars truly ignited the imagination of the inventors.

Moult Taylor designed and built the Taylor Aerocar, which achieved its first successful flight in 1949. Its folding wings enabled a single person to convert it from a roadcar to an aircraft in just 5 minutes. Many consider the Aerocar to be one of the first practical examples of a flying car, which also received approval for mass production from the Civil Aviation Authority in 1956.

However, the Aerocar never achieved mass production, with only six units ever built.

Many others attempted to capture the public's fascination, like Henry Smolinski's Mizar, the British Army's Project Prodigal, Moller Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL), and even one from a former Boeing engineer named Fred Barker who attempted to build the Sky Commuter, a 14-foot-long, two-passenger flying car.

However, despite promising starts, these early attempts failed to soar beyond the prototype stage, grounded by technological limitations and regulatory hurdles.

Evolution of the flying car technology over the years

While you won't be able to go to a dealership and take delivery of your own flying car as of yet, the technology behind flying cars has undergone a remarkable evolution over the decades, propelled by advancements in aerospace engineering, materials science, and digital technology.

Pioneers of the earliest flying car concepts, like Glenn Curtiss, experimented with rudimentary designs powered by internal combustion engines.

For instance, a Curtiss OXX V8 water-cooled aircraft engine powered the aeroplane, producing 100 horsepower that drove a propeller, enabling it to reach speeds of up to 65 mph. The propeller received all the power during flight.

Sending power to the propeller is the only feasible way to keep the aircraft in the air when flying. However, on the ground, sending all power to the propeller and none to the wheels results in extreme efficiency, thereby limiting the vehicle's range and performance.

Thus, the later models, especially the ones built after World War II, had the option to alternate between sending power to the propeller and wheels.

For instance, the 1949 launch of the Taylor Aerocar featured a 5.24L Lycoming O-320 air-cooled flat-four engine that produced 143 horsepower. When the engine powered the pusher propeller, it drove the front wheels through a 3-speed manual transmission on the road, allowing it to reach a top speed of 60 mph or an airspeed of 110 mph. It also had a more practical range of 300 miles, with a service ceiling of 12,000 feet and a cruise speed of 97 mph.

As the decades passed, the propulsion systems evolved, with modern flying cars incorporating cutting-edge electric or hybrid power plants. One such example is the Terrafugia Transition, developed by a Chinese-American company.

Electric propulsion offers quieter operation, reduces emissions, and opens the door to greater efficiency, thus enhancing range and flight speeds. Safety has been a paramount concern throughout this journey, with innovative features such as advanced avionics systems, redundant flight controls, and automated collision avoidance systems enhancing the overall safety of flying cars.

Additionally, advancements in materials technology have led to the development of lightweight yet strong materials for airframe construction, further enhancing safety and efficiency. The Terrafugia Transition, for example, came with a carbon fibre shell.

Furthermore, the integration of autonomous flight systems on models like the Chinese EHang 216 promises to revolutionise the way we interact with flying cars, offering enhanced safety and ease of operation for both pilots and passengers.

Recent attempts at taking off

Several pioneering brands are striving to turn a century-long fantasy into reality.

One such example is AeroMobil from Slovakia. Launched in 2014, the sleek AeroMobil 3.0 could transform from a roadcar to an aircraft in just under three minutes as its wings automatically unfold. Powered by the Rotax 912 four-cylinder aircraft engine producing 100 horsepower, it could not reach up to 100 mph on the ground and 120 mph on the air, with a flight range of 430 miles.

In 2015, the AeroMobil 3.0 suffered an accidental crash during a test flight where its pilot received minor injuries. It delayed delivery until 2018. However, in 2021, the project shut down due to a lack of additional financing after it gathered an investment of €25 million.

Of course, the race against gravity has not stopped with this. The Transition, even featured on the Discovery channel, stands as one of the most prominent examples. The American-based Chinese company Terrafugia developed the Transition, a light sport aircraft. It has an announced price of $279,000 and a minimum sport pilot licence required for its operation.

In 2012, the production prototype successfully completed its first flight, but it needed several modifications to receive legal approval for production. Over the next five years, they developed two more concepts, the last of which included a hybrid powertrain. However, it kept delaying promises for delivery.

In 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally granted the Transition a Special Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) airworthiness certificate for flights with road use permission from the next year. But the company shut down by the end of 2021 with the intention of returning to China.

The Liberty PAL-V is another example. It is a combination of a three-wheeled car and an autogyro. An autogyro or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift.

The Liberty PAL-V took a different approach to mastering the concept of flying cars. Its design aims to raise the centre of gravity with the gyrocar design, thereby enhancing its flying capabilities and safety during landing.

So, when can you get your own flying car?

While each offered their own unique take on the flying car concept with the shared goal of unleashing their desired potential for everyday use, one thing is common: None were able to deliver a model that is ready for large-scale production or commercial scale.

However, if you've been a dreamer of flying cars, you'd be delighted to know that currently, there are several countries that have their own lineup of flying taxis. Despite not being roadworthy like cars, they remain a component of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, designed in accordance with the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) initiatives.

Popular companies like Uber Elevate and Kitty Hawk have run test flights in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Other countries like Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, and Singapore are also working with big aircraft companies to make flying taxis a commercial reality. 

Most recently, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistics announced that the country will be testing the use of flying taxis during the coming Hajj season this year.

While the technology continues to evolve and prototypes are taking over the skies, hurdles in terms of regulation, safety concerns, and infrastructure are what truly pose significant roadblocks to widespread adoption. Yet, with the ongoing advancements, the horizon for flying cars appears clearer than ever before.