GLENAIR
1989 Aeronautics engineer and inventor Paul Moller worked to bring a flying vehicle to the mass market for four decades. In 1989 he launched the M200X prototype, now known as the Moller M200G Volantor, a multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The unique vehicle was designed to take advantage of aerodynamic “ground effect” by limiting maximum altitude to 10 feet. Interestingly, the FAA does not regulate vehicles that operate below 10 feet as “aircraft.”
2009 Steve Saint was awarded Popular Mechanics’ Breakthrough Award for the Maverick, a flying dune buggy he invented to deliver supplies and medical care to remote areas. The Maverick’s short take off and its ability to both fly and drive, makes it one of the more interesting and successful attempts at a flying car.
2012 Terrafugia Corporation’s Transition “street legal” production prototype completed its first flight, and multiple phases of testing. The one-pilot, one passenger vehicle can reportedly go 70 mph on the road—and fit in the garage with its wings folded. In flight, the pusher propeller can attain a cruising speed of 107 mph. Equipment includes a Dynon Skyview glass panel avionics system, an airframe parachute, and an optional autopilot.
2015 The DARPA TX Transformer was, believe it or not, a proposed lift-and-cruise flying car for the U.S. Military. The objective of the Transformer program was to demonstrate a four-person road vehicle that could provide enhanced logistics and mobility by transforming into an aircraft.
QwikConnect • July 2021
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