Flying Failure

Once again we are assaulted by yet another concept of “flying cars”.  Nevermind that we were introduced to the notion of the flying cars since before Bob Cummings had one in a T.V. show, in the late 50‘s, complete with detachable wings and tail.

Now some Chinese ‘rocket scientists’ have produced preliminary drawings of “THEIR” version, which has front and rear lifting fans, along with center control fans, but nowhere to put either seats, fuel or a motor.  Now I don’t want to go out on a limb here, but the absence of a control center or motor system is starting to sound a lot like an Obama solar panel company.  No plan or end game.

And since these geniuses apparently didn’t see my last post on this preposterous concept, I will again attempt to interject some common sense.

First, we should look at who is the logical customer for this contraption:  The suburban/executive commuter?  Ah, I don’t think so.  Anybody near suburbia knows that a vehicle firing up at 6 A.M. that sounds like a mating of a 50 HP weed whacker and a wind tunnel, will not make the neighbors happy.

How about the gentleman rancher bouncing around his numerous holdings.  Uh, I don’t think so, again.  First these scientific wet dreams fail to mention that they have a very limited flying range.  So, if you think they’ll fly from Montana to Big Sur, you need a reality injection.  Besides, these soaring thrashing machines will scare the Hell out of the cattle and the sheeple. 

As I wrote a few years ago, the flying car crowd will have to deal with being too low for FAA regulations and too high for traffic laws.  They will also have to deal with radio towers, high fog and low clouds, overpasses, bridges, helicopters, tall buildings, power lines, buckshot and the occasional 30-06 round, trying to silence the cacophony.  

Actually it would be more instructive to figure out who WOULD use this vehicle and WHERE they would be used.  Not in cities, not in the Burbs, not in the outback, which leaves the lonely plains inhabited by a population of overindulgent, very wealthy, techno-challenged, elitist, narcissistic, A-holes, bent on showing off to their neighbors.  Hardly a target market for any manufacturer, much less than one craving a profit.

I can just see one lifting off next door to Joe Biden's house on Sunday morning.

So you can now go back to thinking about things that work and not waste any more time on the pending failures of a flawed plan, without provisions for control, fuel or power.  Just because you can build something doesn't mean you should.

Dumbplumber