The Kitty Hawk Flying Car: It Flies, But Isn’t Really A Car
We’ve all fantasized about flying cars at one time or another. It might have been while we were watching The Jetsons on TV. It could have been when we kept asking “are we there yet?” and our parents kept answering that “we can’t just push the ‘up’ button and fly.” It’s probably occurred to everyone who was ever late for an appointment and sitting in a hellacious traffic jam. We’ve all had the same types of fantasies about cars that could fly.
Image credits http://static6.businessinsider.com/Google co-founder Larry Page has put $100 million into his fantasy. And in April he saw it come true – sort of – with the maiden voyage of the Kitty Hawk Flyer. Page backed the company that successfully flew the prototype over a Northern California lake, gaining worldwide publicity for a flying car which might be available commercially by the end of the year.
Image credits https://www.cnet.com/6/The only problem? It’s not really a flying car. It looks more like a cross between a CGI Star Wars vehicle and a weekend project built in a garage.
The Kitty Hawk Flyer
For starters, the prototype has only flown over water. It’s battery-powered with eight propellers and two pontoons mounted on the underside, is extremely noisy and has just one seat. On its first flight it flew only 15 feet above the lake before touching down on a floating landing pad, not exactly the stuff of dreams or fantasies.In all fairness, this was merely a test of the prototype. The flight was conducted over water for safety purposes, and “flying car” is really just the shorthand that Kitty Hawk engineers use to describe what’s currently an ultralight aircraft. The Flyer is of several prototypes the company is testing under FAA rules which allow recreational ultralights to fly in remote areas without licensed pilots aboard.
Image credits https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/04/24/we-have-our-first-look-kitty-hawks-flying-vehicle/
The Competition
Kitty Hawk isn’t the only “flying car” that’s speeding toward the market. Companies from Massachusetts to Slovakia are developing their own models which can actually drive and fly. So are the French aircraft giant Airbus, and a Chinese company that’s partnered with the nation of Dubai to create a “flying taxi” service supposedly set to begin operations later this year.
Image credits https://www.cnet.com/That’s not all; if you thought Uber was becoming so ubiquitous that it’s almost annoying, just wait for their “Elevate” mission which they call the “future of on-demand, urban air transportation.” Confusingly, Dubai is also one of the urban partners in Uber’s air taxi project, as is Dallas. However, the company has already signed multiple contracts for the development of aircraft with big name manufacturers like Bell Helicopters, as well as deals for construction of charging stations and takeoff and landing pads (which it has named “vertiports”).
Uber claims that its “real” flying cars will be ready for public unveiling sometime around 2020. Given their success in revolutionizing ground travel (and despite huge financial losses and lawsuits currently facing the company), it would be difficult to bet against them.
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