This is Terrafugia Transfusion, the so-called flying car of the future. And it has just made its maiden flight. I'd call it a plane with folding wings thou.All planes eventually have to gain speed on ground before aerodynamics (the shape of the fuselage, wings) gets more air flowing above than underneath, lifting it up into air. The difference with the Terrafugia thou, is that there are differentials switching outputs from the engine between the propeller and powering the wheels beneath. For on road or in flight use.
What's my thoughts? There can be no such thing as a flying car. Nope. I'm not a skeptic of modern technologies. First of all, they both stands at each's end of spectrum when it comes to the dynamics involved in designing them.
First, a plane needs to move air faster across the top and slower underneath, this creates more air pressure below, pushing the body up. Cars however, needs to do the exact opposite, when travelling at least 60km/h and above, air flow is already enough to overcome any weight of a moderate sized car, thus managing aerodynamics would meant a car needs to be pressed onto road for cruising stability and ultimately safety. However if this principle were to be implemented into the Terrafugia, this thing would definitely not see birds out of its cockpit.
Thus, by understanding this fundamental principal, this Terrafugia's ground capabilities are limited to low speeds of moving in and out of garages, to runways etc.Second, lifting and landing requires a moderate length of runway to travel, this is practically impossible to do it in your neighborhood streets with a beating propeller and kids running around. It could've been possible if it were in Afghanistan or rogue countries where law is as uncommon as Gucci to people there.
Third, let's come back to basics and think why flying cars exist in our wild imaginations; put it simply, we're sick and tired of traffic jams. It's faster travelling great distances. Now for the first scenario, the Terrafugia would've graduated with a big FAIL. Since its not a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off & Landing) , it can't lift itself off and blast through the jammed streets of New York, in fact, the streets of New York would have to be cleared to make runway for it. (Thus since its not jam, why a flying car?)
Now for faster travelling of great distances. Again, this is not a VTOL, meaning it needs a runway, or more approriately, an authorised runway with clear skies (literally) to take off, meaning you have to drive this Transfusion thing to the nearest authorised open field for small planes, or a private airport. Which one could only commute at low speeds across some distance to the nearest available landing ground to fly off - You figure how fast you can go 'driving' this thing around.
So what are the achievements they've gotten after all the tests and R&Ds? In fact the team behind, they're all from MIT right? Well :
1. Drivetrain that could switch between powering the propeller and wheels
2. A pair of folding wings, keeping the Terrafugia within car dimensions
3. Steering controls that could switch between turning wheels and hydraulic actuators for the wing's aerofoils.
Thus basically, its a plane with folding wings, that whilst on land could be steered upon by the same instruments in the cockpit, of which you can store them in your garage.
Car? By far. I haven't went about mentioning luggages and passengers, parking lots, crash tests. The only possible flying cars? One with its wheels flipping in, and a Flux Capacitor of course.
