Degree in 'flying car' engineering offered online
For those looking for an unusual degree course, one in flying car engineering may just fit the bill.
The online course is being offered by Silicon Valley e-learning school Udacity and will begin in February.
It is the brainchild of former Stanford University professor Sebastian Thrun, who previously headed up Google's self-driving car project, Waymo.
Prof Thrun is hoping to attract at least 10,000 applicants to what he is describing as a "nanodegree".
A nanodegree, according to Udacity's website, is an online certification that can be earned in six to 12 months, and aims to teach basic programming skills in various disciplines. ...
Only any use as an 'emergency bailout from tall building' vehicle.
Not required in Norfolk.Perhaps it is the future after all.
https://mashable.com/2017/07/10/3d-prosthetic-third-thumb/#S5IH3Z9HWsqf
Ex Google founder Larry Page's company Kitty Hawk - The firm’s two-person craft, called Cora, is a 12-rotor plane-drone hybrid that can take off vertically like a drone, but then uses a propeller at the back to fly at up to 110 miles an hour for around 62 miles at a time. The all-electric Cora flies autonomously up to 914 metres (3,000ft) above ground, has a wingspan of 11 metres, and has been eight years in the making.
“Cora will combine self-flying software with expert human supervision, so you can enjoy the ride,” says the company, which has fitted three independent flight systems, made the rotors operate independently and given Cora a parachute in case things go wrong.
Even if Kitty Hawk hits all its projected milestones and launches commercially, there’s then the matter of persuading people to actually use it.
BlackFly is latest attempt at flying car
Dave LeeNorth America technology reporter
A flying car that will not require a pilot's licence to operate has been unveiled in California.
- 2 hours ago
BlackFly can travel for up to 25 miles (40km) at a speed of 62mph.
Its makers say it will eventually cost the same as a typical sports-utility car, but early models will be more expensive.
Kitty Hawk - another US start-up, which is backed by Google co-founder Larry Page - is also testing a personal aircraft in Las Vegas.
Several other rival flying cars are in development across the globe.
BlackFly's creator is the Palo Alto-based firm Opener. The car has been tested in Canada, where the country’s aviation authority has authorised its use.
etc
... And...what happens if the motors fail? ...
... Are you sure about this ?
I was under the impression that even gyro pilots need to have passed a basic fixed-wing training course before being let loose in the air.
It's not just the actual ability to fly the thing but also the need to know about avoiding airports etc. Even for VFR flying. ...
Aside from all that, I've spent a couple years now deciphering the McCandlish illustration. There's no doubt in my mind that any propeller driven machine is akin to a donkey cart. The ability to create machines which can overcome gravity is well within the powers of present manufacturing. They know it, I know it, and so do many others.
Rest assured, regardless of what the rulers want, this so-called anti-gravity system will become available. The system has been deciphered sufficiently to understand the driving principles. Knowledge is spreading and once it's out there, like it is now, then the inevitable will manifest itself for personal use.
EnolaGaia,
...I'd also suspect that the VTOL motif is one reason why operators needn't be certified like 'regular' private pilots...
Are you sure about this ?
I was under the impression that even gyro pilots need to have passed a basic fixed-wing training course before being let loose in the air.
It's not just the actual ability to fly the thing but also the need to know about avoiding airports etc. Even for VFR flying.
Any way,flying cars will never happen. Far to many ways to kill the pilot, passengers and others on the ground.
And what a neat bomb delivery system !
INT21
Edit to correct typo. 'Fat' should read 'far'.
Engine maker Rolls-Royce has designed a propulsion system for a flying taxi which it says could take to the skies as soon as early next decade.
The British firm said it had drawn up plans for an "electric vertical take-off and landing" (EVTOL) vehicle, which could carry four to five people.
The vehicle could travel at speeds of up to 250 mph (402 km/h) for approximately 500 miles, it said.
Rolls joins a variety of other firms in seeking to develop flying vehicles.
Speaking ahead of this week's Farnborough Airshow, Rob Watson, head of the company's electrical team, said: "We are well placed to play a leading role in the emerging world of personal air mobility and will also look to work in collaboration with a range of partners."
Mikefule has it right. They will never be common. Far too dangerous to everyone. A rich man's toy. But a good platform for developing related technology. Pretty much the same can be said for autonomous cars. INT21
I think it'll mostly be rich people and the emergency services that will get to use flying cars.Your comment is what was frequently said about automobiles in the 1890s almost word for word INT21. While I agree that within the current technological reality, we have yet to see autonomous cars actually deployed safely, and flying vehicles cannot be reliably maintained on the household budget of anyone short of a billionaire, we may yet see a good deal of change on both of those fronts. I agree at a certain level that flying vehicles are unlikely to become overly popular, as really, we already have them in the form of helicopters, and even 40 year old helicopters sell for over a cool half million today. Is that always going to be the case though?
In many ways the question becomes, will peak oil mean the death of the automobile, or will cities become so congested that the gridlock can only be solved by adding a 3rd dimension. In the latter case, we may yet see some value in a flying car.