Are flying cars the transport of the future? Lilium Jet - the flying personal transport of the future Watch micro personal transport flying

The miracle did not happen, as at the beginning of the third millennium, when we, according to Ray Bradbury, were supposed to colonize Mars. They often talk about the prophecies of science fiction, but one should not forget about unsuccessful forecasts - catastrophically beautiful, but still failures.

Where are the flying cars?

There is a technique under this name, but in reality it is only a hybrid of a car with an airplane. And though the latest designs look futuristic, they are very, very expensive and bear little resemblance to the anti-gravity transport in the "Fifth Element". Farther away from him other developments similar in design to a helicopter, or at all equipped with a parachute and a rear propeller... Here another fantasy comes to mind rather - Carlson, who lives on the roof. Charming, but there is no smell of innovation here.

In films and computer games, another version of the individual transport flashed - a jetpack. He has been featured in Star Wars and Robocop, for example. But even here it did not come to mass use, and it is unlikely that it will soon reach - there is only enough fuel for half a minute of flight, and these volumes cost a round sum.

We ourselves, apparently, do not expect miracles so much that we rejoice even at such a creation of the Chinese innovative genius as the "portal bus". But it is real, like the monorail in Moscow or Japanese train with speeds up to 603 km / h.

And yet, for the human imagination, boundaries are unacceptable. Science fiction of the past, and just the fantasies of our ancestors about the future have acquired a special charm and a new name - "retrofuturism". A romantic, enthusiastic love for technology and a desire to anticipate future discoveries - this can both touch and inspire today.

Reinvent the wheel

Even before the car wanted to "lift in the air", there were ideas to improve it. And the most important thing is to reinvent the wheel in a new way! In 1936, a Japanese magazine introduced a concept car with balls instead of regular tires: according to the authors, this idea would provide a smooth ride for the transport. Not such a pointless idea, even according to modern engineers. In 2016, a similar development presented by the American company Goodyear, the largest tire manufacturer.

Gigantomania gave birth to another imaginary miracle of technology - a ship on huge wheels, which, according to the inventor, was supposed to plow the sands of the Sahara and solve the problem with transport in the region. Struggle against samums and other disasters of the desert, including heat, was foreseen by the design, and the engineer promised "a trip that will turn into a pleasant journey through those places where thousands of generations fought in vain with natural forces and died in an unequal struggle." So the magazine "Vokrug Sveta" wrote about it in 1927. It is not known how successful the idea was - it still did not come to implementation. Although it can be assumed that the promised air conditioning of such a machine, and even to overcome the sands with cogwheels, would take a lot of resources.

For public use, however, just compact models... In 1947, engineer Eduard Vereiken from Brussels patented a dicycling, a self-propelled carriage that consisted of two huge wheels and an open cockpit in the middle. The inventor himself claimed that transport can accelerate to 185 km / h - but it's hard to believe in it. And the safety of passengers remains in question. Only in the Swedish analogue of 1999 by Jonas Bjerkholtz all design problems were taken into account. But use it now just for the entertainment of the public.

Trains were another favorite theme for engineers and dreamers. Many hopes were pinned on monorails, although they were presented in a rather unusual way - for example, this way or this way. But ordinary trains were seen as much more advanced in the future - comfortable, spacious, and even with a view of the stars.

"Ship of the Desert" according to the 1927 version.

A helicopter for each person!

Where fantasy unfolds to its fullest - it is a flying vehicle. The imagination of our ancestors gave birth to saucer-like planes, and planes with wings below and turbo engines in the bow, and even submarine planes. Not to mention everything - you can also browse the galleries on Reddit or keyword collections on Pinterest yourself.

But what is especially touching in all these projects is the belief in the general availability of transport of the future. A man has just conquered the air, and American magazines write: "Helicopters for Everybody!" ("Helicopters to every home!"). And among all these press clippings almost a century ago, you can see drawings of private planes. At that time, they really expected from the future only striving upward, and scientific progress, and the quality of life of everyone.

Do you believe in it now, when you stand in a traffic jam during rush hour? Or when you shake on the top bunk of a reserved seat carriage? Clutching a smartphone in your hand, the computing power of which is known to be higher than NASA equipment in 1969?

The 21st century has not yet taken place - it certainly did not take place the way fans of technical progress expected it. But the future, as it turned out, is unpredictable. At a slow pace, but it comes - we suggest you get acquainted with the futuristic transport of the present.

Today's future

Segway has become one of the most fashionable forms of personal transport in recent years, a technological competitor for bicycles and scooters. What makes it futuristic? You will have to "steer" exclusively with your body: the gyroscope and other sensors in its device react to tilt. And only you will have to turn it with a handle or a special column. The control of a gyro scooter and a unicycle is completely intuitive - I must say, it is these varieties that are popular today.

Even the police use segway in Naberezhnye Chelny and Moscow. In many cities, rental offices have appeared where you can temporarily become the owner of a two-wheeled "self-propelled carriage" or unicycle. On the market, a monocycle can cost up to half a million rubles, but for 20-30 thousand it is quite possible to buy a monocycle that can withstand 15 kilometers without recharging.

Another representative of modern electric transport is the electric car. Having been invented even earlier than the usual fuel-fueled cars, it still remains a symbol of the future. There are many reasons for this: resource saving, environmental friendliness, and independence from the oil market conditions. Today it is easiest to ride an electric car, especially for residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg: just contact a taxi service, which has such models in its fleet. In Yandex.Taxi, for example, not so long ago appeared one of the most advanced electric cars, Tesla Model S. Its capabilities are impressive: in just a few seconds, it is able to accelerate to 100 km / h, while the course is practically silent.

The most innovative transport known to Russians is, of course, the Moscow monorail, the “thirteenth metro line”. It began to function in full measure back in 2008, but even now not all residents of the regions have heard of it. As if descended from the same retro-futuristic clippings from magazines, but adapted to reality, the monorail is the favorite of the public. The location of the road amazes the imagination - this is an overpass, that is, the train path completely passes over Moscow. The route runs from the Timiryazevskaya station to Sergei Eisenstein Street. True, recently there have been talks about dismantling the track, although the last word is still the proposal to make it a "tourist object". Payback, as it turned out, was a serious problem for this pilot road.

Like this, overcoming difficulties modern device world, the future is still slowly approaching. Will levitating cars and a teleportation booth in every yard await us in the coming decades? Unlikely. Will the transport of the future look like what we can imagine? Also unlikely. And it’s not that bad.

The congestion of highways forces people to master new types of air transport, including a flying car.

The intensification of developments of this type is explained by the fact that, in comparison with helicopters, they have a number of advantages:

• efficiency - such vehicles run on electricity, which is much more profitable;
• mobility - can be used even in a city;
• safety - the probability of a crash of such a device is much lower than that of a helicopter;
• affordable price - in the long term, everyone will be able to afford such a purchase.

Atamanov's flying machine is the industry leader

One would assume that the leaders in this industry are American corporations and private developers. But no! Russia in this segment is not only not inferior, but even ahead of the United States. Such a strong position is provided by Hoversurf, the head of which is Alexander Atamanov. This company has already made a splash with its flying bikes Scorpion 3 Hoverbike, videos with flights of which collect millions of views and likes on Youtube.

Domestic innovators have not only developed and built an interesting concept, they are actively promoting it to the general public. Confirmation is the fact that the company is preparing for the serial production of hoverbikes, already 2000 buyers have sent applications for the purchase of new items on pre-order. First of all, transport is designed for buyers who prefer active rest and extreme entertainment, but in the future the lineup will expand significantly.

Development prospects

Already, in the company's office in Skolkovo, the walls are hung with blueprints for the new Hoversurf Formula model. It is a five-seater unmanned vehicle that travels through the air. Initially, it was supposed to be done according to the propeller scheme, but marketing research has shown that the presence of a rotating propeller in the immediate vicinity of the passengers is a negative factor during implementation. That is why an alternative option was chosen - units of electric fans in annular fairings, made using EDF (Electric Ducted Fan) technology. However, this technology has a significantly lower efficiency. The problem was solved by creating additional air intake holes in the annular fairing. The result is a compact vehicle that can fly over a distance of 450 km. To achieve this result, a non-standard design was used: 48 turbines, which operate in copter mode, were removed in the fairing struts. For horizontal flight, a folding wing and 4 turbines are provided.

One of the common devices in science fiction novels is the flying car. Science fiction writers imagined that in the 21st century, the sky would be permeated with highways, along which vehicles would buzz overhead. /site/

While we're a little behind these fantasies, there are a number of companies that are seriously working to bring flying cars to market over the next few years.

However, do not expect an instant transformation in the spirit of the heroes of the animated series "The Jetsons". Most manufacturers target high-end customers. Estimated prices for the first flying cars will range from $ 250,000 to $ 500,000. Therefore, most buyers who would like to fly to work should wait.

The first generation of flying cars will probably look like this. A resident of Whites Plain, New York wants to spend an evening in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He gets into his flying car in his garage and drives to the airport. He presses a button, the wings unfold at the car, it accelerates down the runway and takes off. After a two-hour flight, he lands, folds his wings and drives around the city like in a regular car.

Terrafugia's flying Transition car flies over yachts. Photo: Terrafugia

As a result, there is no need to pay for storage in the hangar or, upon arrival, in the hustle and bustle of looking for where to rent a car. Plus, small airports don't always have car rental agents. The average available flight range for these vehicles is 693 km.

“The value is that you can get straight to your destination,” says Richard Gersh, business development manager at Terrafugia, a US firm.

Perhaps someone will be disappointed by the very need to go to the airport. Unfortunately, most prototypes require short runways and are not designed for urban takeoffs.

The most promising models are the Transition of the American company Terrafugia and the German Carplane.

Carplane travels on a highway in Germany. Photo: Carplane

AeroMobil 3.0 in Slovakia has developed a prototype that can take off and land on grass, which gives additional benefits... Unfortunately, on May 8, he crashed during a test flight. Its creator, Stefan Klein, was on board, he successfully landed with a parachute and was not injured, but the prototype was seriously damaged, according to the Slovak media SME.

Aeromobil 3.0. Photo: Aeromobil

The Dutch PAL-V ONE is an incredible hybrid of a helicopter and a tricycle. Unlike other prototypes, it has a propeller instead of wings. But he also needs a short runway. This is the safest model because the main rotor needs no energy. “Even if the engine fails, you can still land softly,” the manufacturer wrote in an email.

If you do not want to go to the airport, then you need a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Such a device is much more expensive and more difficult to make, because if you want to take off from the porch of your house, then your flying car should not make noise like a helicopter. Otherwise, if you land on your front lawn, you will create micro-damage on nearby cars and scare all the neighbors, says John Brown, manager of Carplane in Germany.

Therefore, manufacturers in this category, California-based Moller International, which created Skycar, and the German company Lilium Aviation, have focused their efforts on reducing decibels. And they have made some progress.

Moller International's Skycar flying car. Photo: Moller International

"The noise from Lilium jet during takeoff, it is comparable to the sound of a car at a speed of 80 km / h. In cruise mode, it is not heard from the ground, ”wrote Sebastian Born, one of the founders of Lilium, in a letter.

But given that some countries regulate when to use a lawn mower, it is likely that the local authorities will send you to take off to the nearest heliport with this machine. But it's still more convenient, because there are usually more heliports than airports.

Illustration of a Lilium Jet ready to take off. Photo: Lilium Aviation

In addition to private use, there are a number of areas where flying cars can be used, including rescue work, ambulance, border guards, parcel delivery, air taxis and military targets. This can accelerate the development and adoption of flying cars.

The time has come?

Over the past 100 years, at least 2,400 flying cars have been developed, of which approximately 300 have successfully flown, according to the Carplane website.

The first patent for the invention of a flying car was issued in Paris, in 1903.The first flight (very short) was carried out by Glenn Curtis on his autoplane in 1919.

Many of the early models were actually successful in terms of engineering, but they were never destined to take off due to lack of funding.

In 1948, the Convair 118 - a family sedan with attached aircraft parts - crashed when test pilot Ruben Snograss mistakenly looked at an automobile gas meter, not an airplane one. As a result, he ran out of aviation fuel halfway through. The pilot survived the emergency landing, but the Convair 118 did not. The second prototype was built from the wreckage of the first, but by then the enthusiasm for the project was gone.

ConvairCar Model 118. Photo: Wikipedia

It is possible that today when the time has come for mass production flying cars. / Time will tell, but first, their creators have to overcome some big difficulties.

Certification

Terrafugia's Transition is still the leader in the race to market, but it has one problem to overcome: bureaucracy. The creators of the Transition want to be certified as a light sport aircraft (LSA), but this will require changes in US federal laws and higher regulations for permissible weight from 600 kg to 816 kg. The excess weight is caused by car parts Airbags, suspensions, and steering are usually not found on airplanes.

Terrafugia, as an exception, in 2010 already received permission for an additional 45 kg, planned to receive a certificate and begin sales in 2011. But the company could not meet the 45 kg and is now asking for a surcharge of 172 kg.

This is a problem not only for Terrafugia, but for all flying cars. The aircraft should be as light as possible, and for a car, in many cases, the more weight, the better.

Paul Moller, creator of Skycar, believes that trying to fit into the weight standards of a light sports aircraft is not a good idea. “The end result is a combination of a bad airplane (too slow) and bad car, uncomfortable and light to such an extent that it will be dangerous on the roads, ”he said.

PAL-V ONE is a hybrid of a helicopter and a tricycle from the Netherlands. Photo: PAL-V

Therefore, he develops his model Skycar, first of all, as an aircraft, and for ground movement, he added only three wheels, not four. Thus, while traveling on the ground, the machine will meet safety standards for motorcycles, not cars. Lilium Jet made three wheels for the same reason.

Despite all the difficulties, Terrafugia is confident that the American aviation service will meet halfway and issue a certificate. But not everyone shares this belief.

“Even fans of flying cars doubt that the Federal Aviation Service will allow such a large weight gain,” wrote John Brown, manager of the German Carplane. "Issuing certifications is a matter of planning, not an exemption."

Ed de Reis, an aircraft certification expert who works as a test pilot for Skycar and collaborates with Terrafugia, says it's a difficult but not hopeless endeavor. “I think their chances are as great as everyone else's,” Reis said.

Currently, not a single flying car has been certified in the United States. If the aviation service meets Terrafugia, it will open the door to the entire industry.

However, if the aeronautical service requires Terrafugia to reduce the weight of their flying vehicle, it will require huge expenses from the company and the entire industry. It should not be forgotten that the main reason why flying cars have not been put into production for 100 years is the financial factor.

Launch price

According to de Reis, it takes roughly $ 50 million in America to pass the certification process for a new aircraft model. Engineers have to analyze the data system, and the plane has to go through many test flights. For a light sports aircraft, it will cost a little less, but any new company that wants to enter the market has to spend a lot of money, he said.

Funding is a major concern for most aircraft development companies.

Moller has been working on innovative vertical take-off vehicles for over 30 years. He has Skycar models - the two-seater Skycar 200, the four-seater Skycar 400 and the Neuera flying saucer.

Moller International is a public company in which Moller has invested a large amount of personal funds over the years to keep the company afloat. Up to the fact that in 2009 he filed for bankruptcy.

This industry is not attractive to investors. The development of an apparatus for uncertain purposes requires extensive funding. He must obtain certificates from authorities that have not developed standards for such transport. Finally, its final selling price is difficult to predict.

Skycar. Photo: Moller International

According to forecasts, immediately after release, Skycar can cost up to $ 500,000. Then, after the first thousand sold copies, it can become twice as cheap. In the long term, with 200,000 units produced per year, its price will drop to an affordable $ 50,000, Moller said.

The flying car industry doesn't need venture capitalists who want quick returns on their investments, but people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, de Reis says. But, apparently, entrepreneurs of their type are more interested in private space flights. Such people think, "I do not need a flying car, I want to have my own spaceship."

Carplane can easily be parked in a regular car park. Photo: Carplane

Promising trends

Are flying cars coming soon? There is no doubt that the number of entrepreneurs working in this direction is growing and they are not going to give up. Many are already planning next-generation prototypes that will bring science fiction closer to real life... They will be powered by a rechargeable battery, autopilot, etc.

There are also positive developments. European companies Carplane and AeroMobil received support from the European Union. In the United States, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants to create a ground vehicle that can convert to a vertical takeoff aircraft.

De Reis believes that the Federal Aviation Service is gradually changing its views. While public safety is their top priority, it is not their only concern. "They've turned their attention to innovation and are wondering how not to make regulations so strict that it will ruin companies."

The only unclear question is whether there is a real demand for such devices. We can say that in the collective imagination of mankind there is definitely a demand for them, therefore, at reasonable prices, they will become in demand.

Sci-fi works and films often tell us that in the future, humanity will abandon wheeled vehicles and move to flying cars. But time passes, and the airspace is cut only by planes and helicopters. So when will flying cars appear?

Features of this type of transport

Ideally, a flying car is compact and does not need special conditions for takeoff. That is, it can simply be stored in the garage and take off directly from there. But the most important thing is that this type of transport should be accessible to the middle class of the population.

As a rule, most of the concept cars of the future imply the ability to move both by air and by land. Controlling a flying machine should be extremely simple and intuitive.

Do not forget that we are talking about the technologies of the future when they should appear new types of fuel and energy... Therefore, refueling or recharging a flying car should not cost a pretty penny. And the level of environmental pollution in such a car should be minimized.

Modern developments in the direction of "road-air" transport are carried out taking into account the listed data, but the stake is mainly placed on the fact that the car can at least rise into the air ...

Existing models

Formally, flying machines already exist as experimental models. We have selected the three most promising prototypes out of dozens of prototypes.

Terrafugia TF-X

Manufacturers position their creation as the first in the world semi-autonomous hybrid flying car, and it is in many ways consistent with this formulation.

The advantage of this car is its vertical takeoff capability. Movement is possible both by air and by land. By the way, it can accommodate as many as four passengers.

The semi-automatic system reacts to obstacles and bad weather, independently lands in emergency situations, notifying air traffic controllers about their action. In addition, the TF-X is equipped with a parachute system.

Takeoff and landing will not require special skills from the driver (pilot?) - the autopilot will be responsible for this... And the entire flight is mainly carried out under computer control, and the user only needs to set the destination. The system will calculate whether there is enough fuel and charge for the flight, analyze the features of the relief and weather conditions.

Interestingly, the propellers that lift the car into the air are powered by electric motors, while the propeller, which propels forward, is driven by a gas turbine. Thus, without recharging and refueling TF-X will be able to cover more than 800 km.

Now developers are working on solving issues such as improving vehicle safety and simplifying handling.

So far, the estimated cost of Terrafugia TF-X is close to the amount of 300 thousand dollars, but the manufacturers promise that after a while it will be available for the price of a premium car.

Already in 2017, the Slovak company AeroMobil is preparing to sell flying cars of its own production.

This vehicle is adapted for comfortable driving and flying. Immediately before takeoff, the wings of the Aeromobile "spread" on the sides. There can be no talk of taking off directly from the highway so far - for this you will have to use the runway of the nearest airfield... Accordingly, one cannot do without a pilot's license.

The cabin is designed for 2 people. Regular gasoline is used as fuel.

To improve flight performance, the body of this car is made of specially selected composite materials. In the air, AeroMobil can accelerate to 200 km / h and cover about 700 km. In the future, it will be equipped with an autopilot.

Manufacturers say that the cost of an airplane car will be at the level of a sports car and a light airplane.

And this flying car can be purchased today... Double Transition in less than a minute can be transformed from ground vehicle into the air.

The speed that a car reaches in flight can be 185 km / h, while the flight range is 790 km. Gasoline is used as fuel.

However, for a safe take-off, a flat 500-meter runway is required.

Terrafugia Transition is also certified for road transport common use, and as a "light sports aircraft".

The cost of this flying car is $ 280,000.

1946 flying car

The idea of ​​flying cars is by no means new. Already in the middle of the 20th century, engineers were seriously thinking about developing such a vehicle. Moreover, a model was created that corresponds to the idea of ​​a flying car. Although it was rather an airplane that transformed into a ground vehicle.

It's about, and it really deserves attention. The development of Amphibian was taken up by Robert Fulton in 1946. And in general, he managed to adapt the plane to the road.

This flying car has become first to receive certification from the United States Civil Aviation Authority.
To transform the car into an airplane, it was necessary to fasten the wings and tail, the propeller was attached to the fuselage.

The directions of development carried out by various companies and organizations suggest that in the not so distant future, if not all, then most of personal transport will move from ordinary roads to airspace, making the concept of traffic jams, narrow streets and space limited for maneuvers an anachronism.

The aforementioned developments include the project of a two-seat electric apparatus Lilium Jet (vertical take-off and landing, VTOL), which is now being developed in Germany under the auspices of the European Space Agency. This one will be able to fly under the direct control of a human pilot, using a remote control system and in autonomous mode. The maximum speed that he can develop in the air will be 400 kilometers per hour, and the first samples of the aircraft may appear as early as 2017-2018.

The Lilium Jet combines vertical takeoff and landing technologies with efficient horizontal flight of fixed wing aircraft. Much attention is paid to the level of noise emitted by the Lilium Jet apparatus, according to preliminary calculations, the apparatus will be much quieter than everything that was created before in the framework of the program, because its main engine will be Electrical engine, with a power of 329 kW (435 hp), drawing energy from rechargeable batteries.

Lilium Jet - flying personal transport the future

The Lilium Jet is currently classified in Europe as a Light Sport Aircraft, requiring a minimum pilot's license to fly, which can be obtained by completing a 20-hour training course.

At the very beginning of operation, Lilium Jet aircraft will be allowed to ascend and land on the surface in designated areas. But as soon as the safety level of this device reaches an acceptable value, it will be able to land and take off from any platform measuring 15 by 15 meters. In the most economical level flight mode, the Lilium Jet can fly at an average speed of 300 kilometers per hour. In this flight mode, one battery charge is enough to cover a distance of 500 kilometers, and when moving with maximum speed the device will not use energy so efficiently, due to which the flight range may be reduced by one and a half to two times.

“Our goal is to create an aircraft that is suitable for its use as a will need complex and expensive infrastructure such as a small airfield. "

Lilium Jet - the flying personal transport of the future

Many of our readers may imagine that even such a small aircraft, with its engines, batteries, can be an object of higher danger than a car. However, recent advances in intelligent control systems, which are already able to drive cars on normal roads in automatic mode, could make such aircraft much safer than a helicopter. And the functions of automatic landing and takeoff, which will be an indispensable attribute of the control system, will eliminate the possibility of human error during the execution of these most critical and dangerous maneuvers.

According to Lilium's plans, the first prototype of the Lilium Jet should take off with a human pilot in 2017. And by 2018, the device must pass the entire test program, receive all the necessary upgrades and alterations, and be ready for the beginning of the certification in order to obtain a permit for operation.