Editing Flying car

{{Short description|Car that can be flown in much the same way as a car may be driven}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
[[File:ConvairCar Model 118.jpg|thumb|[[Convair Model 118]], a prototype flying car from 1947, in flight]]
[[File:Waterman Aerobile 6.jpg|thumb|The [[Waterman Arrowbile]] at the [[Smithsonian]]]]
[[File:Jess Dixon in his flying automobile.jpg|thumb|Jess Dixon's flying automobile c. 1940]]
[[File:Fulton Airphibian FA-3-101.jpg|thumb|Fulton Airphibian FA-3-101]]
[[File:Taylor-Aerocar-III.jpg|thumb|[[Moulton Taylor]]'s [[Aerocar|Aerocar III]]]]
[[File:AVE-Mizar-1973-N68X-XL.jpg|thumb|The [[AVE Mizar|Mizar]] by Advanced Vehicle Engineers, August 1973]]

A '''flying car''' or '''roadable aircraft''' is a type of vehicle which can function both as a road vehicle and as an aircraft. As used here, this includes vehicles which drive as motorcycles when on the road. The term "flying car" is also sometimes used to include [[hovercar]]s and/or VTOL [[personal air vehicle]]s. Many prototypes have been built since the early 20th century, using a variety of flight technologies. Most have been designed to take off and land conventionally using a runway. Although [[VTOL]] projects are increasing, none has yet been built in more than a handful of numbers.

Their appearance is often predicted by [[futurologists]], and many concept designs have been promoted. Their failure to become a practical reality has led to the catchphrase "Where's my flying car?", as a paradigm for the failure of predicted technologies to appear. Flying cars are also a popular theme in fantasy and [[science fiction]] stories.

==History==

===Early 20th century===
In 1901 German immigrant to the U.S. Gustave Whitehead purportedly flew a powered aircraft, which was described as able to propel itself along roads to the site of the flying experiment.<ref>Freeman, David. [https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/gustave-whitehead-first-flight-wright-brothers_n_3316475 "Gustave Whitehead's First Flight Beat Wright Brothers' By Years, Aviation Expert Contends"]. ''Huffington Post''. 22 May 2013. ''"[Whitehead] purportedly took aloft a flying car of his own design"''.</ref>{{Failed verification|date=August 2024}}<ref>Bongartz, Roy. "Was Whitehead First?" ''Popular Mechanics''. December 1981. Pp.68-76. "Beech described the plane as self-powered on the ground, like an automobile".</ref>{{Better source needed|PopMechanics isn't a recognised source on aviation history, and all this story does is report what the previous unreliable sources - rejected by aviation historians - have to say.|date=August 2024}}<ref>Glass, Andrew. ''Flying Cars: The True Story'', Clarion, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0618984824}}. Chapter 2. ''"Despite controversy, the chronicle of Gustave Whitehead's flying automobile..."''</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See talk page:Glass's book is self-described 'Juvenile Nonfiction', and I can find no evidence that Glass has any credentials as any sort of aviation historian|date=August 2024}} Consensus among historians is that Whitehead's no. 21 did not achieve sustained self-powered flight.<ref name="SciAm2014">{{cite news |last1=Schlenoff |first1=Daniel C. |title=Scientific American Debunks Claim Gustave Whitehead Was 'First in Flight' |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientific-american-debunks-claim-gustave-whitehead-was-first-in-flight/ |access-date=6 November 2022 |work=Scientific American |date=8 July 2014 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="FlyingMagBurns2017">{{cite news |last1=Burns |first1=Ashley |title=Connecticut Towns Honor Gustave Whitehead, Reigniting 'First in Flight' Debate |url=https://www.flyingmag.com/connecticut-towns-honor-gustave-whitehead-reigniting-first-in-flight-battle/ |access-date=6 November 2022 |work=Flying Magazine |date=15 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="Crouch2016JAH">{{cite journal |last1=Crouch |first1=Tom |title=The Flight Claims of Gustave Whitehead |journal=Journal of Aeronautical History |date=2016 |url=https://www.aerosociety.com/media/4951/the-flight-claims-of-gustave-whitehead.pdf |access-date=6 November 2022}}</ref>

Aircraft designer [[Glenn Curtiss]] built his [[Curtiss Autoplane|Autoplane]] in 1917. It had a pusher propeller for flight, with removable flight surfaces including a triplane wing, canard foreplane and twin tails. It was able to hop, but not fly.<ref name="Time-never-come">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/weekinreview/12vinciguerra.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=Flying Cars: An Idea Whose Time Has Never Come |author=Thomas Vinciguerra |author-link=Thomas Vinciguerra |date=11 April 2009}}</ref>

In 1935, Constantinos Vlachos built a prototype of a 'tri-phibian' vehicle with a circular wing, but it caught fire after the engine exploded while he was demonstrating it in [[Washington, D.C.]] Vlachos was badly injured and spent several months in hospital.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=News Cameras Film Thrilling Rescue|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_eyYDAAAAMBAJ
|quote=constantinos vlachos popular science.|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_eyYDAAAAMBAJ/page/n38 29]|magazine=[[Popular Science]]|date=January 1936}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Hard-Luck Vlachos|url=http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/05/18/sia-flashback-a-day-with-the-scrapper-and-hard-luck-vlachos/|page=44|journal=Special-Interest Autos|date=July 1974|access-date=11 July 2021|archive-date=25 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150125024943/http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/05/18/sia-flashback-a-day-with-the-scrapper-and-hard-luck-vlachos/|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The machine is most notable for a [[newsreel]] that captured the incident.<ref>{{YouTube|IuJMU2apQZo|Newsreel of flying car on fire}}</ref>

The [[Autogiro Company of America AC-35]] was a prototype roadable [[autogyro]], flown on 26 March 1936 by test pilot James G. Ray. Forward thrust was initially provided by twin counter-rotating propellers for thrust, later replaced with a single propeller. On 26 October 1936, the aircraft was converted to roadable configuration.<ref>{{cite book |title=Realizing the dream of flight: biographical essays in honor of the centennial of flight, 1903–2003 |last1=Dawson |first1=Virginia |first2=Mark D. |last2=Bowles |year=2005 |publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA History Division, Office of External Relations |asin=B002Y26TM0 |page=70}}</ref>  Ray drove it to the main entrance of the [[Commerce Building, Washington, D.C.]], where it was accepted by John H. Geisse, chief of the Aeronautics Branch. Although it had been successfully tested, it did not enter production.

The first fixed wing roadable aircraft to fly was built by [[Waldo Waterman]]. Waterman had been associated with [[Glenn Curtiss]] when pioneering [[amphibious aircraft]] at North Island on [[San Diego Bay]] in the 1910s. On 21 February 1937, Waterman's [[Waterman Arrowbile|Arrowbile]] first took to the air.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-the-first-flying-car/147575449/ "Drives Machine Through Trafic (sic)and Then Flies It"], ''Chicago Daily Tribune'', February 22, 1937, p. 6</ref>
<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WScDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Plane%20Sheds%20Wing%20To%20Run%20On%20Ground&pg=PA52 |title=Plane Sheds Wing To Run On Ground|journal=Popular Science|date=May 1937}}</ref> The Arrowbile was a development of Waterman's tailless aircraft, the [[Waterman Whatsit|Whatsit]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wygDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1931+plane&pg=PA39 "Tailless Flivver Plane Has Pusher Propeller"] ''Popular Science'', May 1934, rare photos in article</ref> It had a wingspan of {{convert|38|ft|m}} and a length of {{convert|20|ft|6|in|m}}. On the ground and in the air it was powered by a [[Studebaker]] engine. It could fly at {{convert|112|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} and drive at {{convert|56|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.

In 1942, the British army built the [[Hafner Rotabuggy]], an experimental roadable autogyro that was developed with the intention of air-dropping off-road vehicles. In developed form the Rotabuggy achieved a flight speed of {{convert|70|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. However, the introduction of [[Military glider|gliders]] that could carry vehicles (such as the [[Waco CG-4|Waco Hadrian]] and [[Airspeed Horsa]]) led to the project's cancellation.<ref>{{cite book |title=Jeeps 1941–45 |first=Steven J. |last=Zaloga |pages=37–38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_fFkOS4b_4C&q=Rotabuggy+&pg=PA38 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=1-84176-888-X }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Late 20th century===
Although several designs (such as the ConVairCar) have flown, none have enjoyed commercial success, and those that have flown are not widely known by the general public. The most successful example, in that several were made and one is still flying, is the 1949 [[Taylor Aerocar]].

In 1946, the Fulton FA-2 [[Fulton Airphibian|Airphibian]] was an American-made flying car designed by [[Robert Edison Fulton Jr.]], it was an aluminum-bodied car, built with independent suspension, aircraft-sized wheels, and a six-cylinder 165&nbsp;hp engine. The fabric wings were easily attached to the fuselage, converting the car into a plane. Four prototypes were built. [[Charles Lindbergh]] flew it in 1950 and, although it was not a commercial success (financial costs of [[airworthiness]] certification forced him to relinquish control of the company, which never developed it further), it is now in the [[Smithsonian]].

[[File:Aerocar at EAA.jpg|thumb|1949 [[Aerocar]] with wings folded, at the [[EAA AirVenture Museum]]]]
The [[Aerocar]], designed and built by [[Molt Taylor]], made a successful flight in December 1949, and in following years versions underwent a series of road and flying tests. [[Chuck Berry]] featured the concept in his 1956 song "[[You Can't Catch Me]]", and in December 1956 the [[Civil Aviation Authority]] approved the design for mass production, but despite wide publicity and an improved version produced in 1989, Taylor did not succeed in getting the flying car into production. In total, six Aerocars were built. It is considered to be one of the first practical flying cars.<ref name="Glass2015">{{cite book|author=Andrew Glass|title=Flying Cars: The True Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dFBVCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|date= 2015|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-547-53423-7|pages=84–}}</ref>

One notable design was Henry Smolinski's [[AVE Mizar|Mizar]], made by mating the rear end of a [[Cessna Skymaster]] with a [[Ford Pinto]], but it disintegrated during test flights killing Smolinski and the pilot.

Project Prodigal<ref>{{cite web | url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C491225 | title=Catalogue description Project PRODIGAL: Army vehicle with limited airborne capability }}</ref> was a British Army concept in the late 1950s early 1960s for a "Jumping Jeep" to overcome obstacles on the battlefield<ref>https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/feature/1960s-lsquothunderbirdsrsquo-projects-brought-to-life {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.army-technology.com/features/featureforgotten-designs-bae-jumping-jeep/?cf-view | title=Forgotten designs: BAE's extraordinary Jumping Jeep | date=17 June 2013 }}</ref> with entrants were [[British Aircraft Corporation|BAC]]<ref>Project Cancelled: Disaster of Britain's Abandoned Aircraft Projects Hardcover – 1 Sept. 1986 by Derek Wood {{ISBN|0710604416}}</ref> [[Boulton Paul Aircraft|Boulton Paul]], [[Bristol Siddeley]], [[Folland Aircraft|Folland]], [[Handley Page]]<ref>Handley Page Aircraft since 1907 (Putnam Aeronautical Books) Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1987
by C.H. (Revised By Derek N James) Barnes (Author) {{ASIN|B007Q1Y6HY}}, pp. 579–582</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collections.rafmuseum.org.uk/collection/object/object-117539/ |title=Handley Page HP120 Flying Car |website=collections.rafmuseum.org.uk |access-date=2024-04-11}}</ref> [[Saunders Roe]],<ref>From Sea to Air Hardcover – 1989
by A.E. Tagg {{ISBN|0950973939}}</ref> [[Short Brothers]]<ref>The Pye Book of Science – Maurice Rickards 1963</ref> [[Vickers-Armstrongs]] and [[Westland Helicopters|Westland]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://russellphillips.uk/project-prodigal-flying-cars/ | title=The British Army's Flying Cars | date=17 March 2020 }}</ref>

Moller began developing VTOL craft in the late 1960s, but no Moller vehicle has ever achieved free flight out of ground effect. The [[Moller Skycar M400]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Category: Uncategorised |url=http://www.moller.com |title=Moller International Home |website=Moller.com |date=26 September 2012 |access-date=24 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2002/2002%20-%203737.html?search=Flying%20car |title=''Flight'' 2002 |website=Flightglobal.com |access-date=19 October 2018}}</ref> was a project for a personal [[VTOL]] (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft which is powered by four pairs of in-tandem [[Wankel rotary engine]]s. The proposed Autovolantor model had an all-electric version powered by [[Altairnano]] batteries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.autoforsale.co.in/2014/07/rinspeed-squba-first-underwater-flying.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718165427/http://blog.autoforsale.co.in/2014/07/rinspeed-squba-first-underwater-flying.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 July 2014 |title=Rinspeed Squba, The First Underwater Flying Car |website=autoforsale.co.in |access-date=13 August 2014 }}</ref> The company has been dormant since 2015.

In the mid-1980s, former [[Boeing]] engineer Fred Barker founded Flight Innovations Inc. and began the development of the Sky Commuter, a small duct fans-based VTOL aircraft. It was a compact, {{convert|14|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} two-passenger and was made primarily of composite materials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-9302266.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323093810/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-9302266.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 March 2015|title=Vest-pocket VTOL. (vertical take-off-and-landing aircraft, Sky Commuter) (column)|publisher=Mechanical Engineering-CIME|date=1 December 1990|access-date=1 October 2014}}</ref> In 2008, the remaining prototype was sold for £86k on [[eBay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boingboing.net/2008/01/12/sky-commuter-vehicle.html|title=Sky Commuter vehicle prototype for sale|website=Urbanaero.com |date=12 January 2012|access-date=1 October 2014}}</ref>

===21st century===
[[File:Parajet Skycar at NEC Birmingham.jpg|right|thumb|[[Parajet Skycar]] prototype seen at the Sport and Leisure Aviation Show (SPLASH), Birmingham, UK, November 2008]]
[[File:Terrafugia_--_2012_NYIAS_cropped.jpg|thumb|Prototype [[Terrafugia Transition]] at the [[New York International Auto Show|N.Y. Int'l Auto Show]] in April 2012]]
[[File:SuperSkyCycle.jpg|thumb|[[The Butterfly Super Sky Cycle|Super Sky Cycle]]]]
[[File:Maverick Flying Car.jpg|thumb|[[I-TEC Maverick|Maverick Flying Dune Buggy]]]]
[[File:PD-1 Roadable Glastar.jpg|thumb|[[Plane Driven PD-1 Roadable Glastar]]]]

In 2009 the U.S., the [[DARPA|Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]] (DARPA) initiated the $65 million [[Transformer (flying car)|Transformer]] program to develop a four-person roadable aircraft by 2015.<ref>Warwick, Graham. [http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog%3aa68cb417-3364-4fbf-a9dd-4feda680ec9c&plckPostId=Blog%3aa68cb417-3364-4fbf-a9dd-4feda680ec9cPost%3accef0189-116b-4626-a4a8-d26cbd2f7fa8 Leading Edge blog: DARPA's Transformer – a Humvee That Flies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023115418/http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:a68cb417-3364-4fbf-a9dd-4feda680ec9c |date=23 October 2013 }}, AW&ST On Technology, ''[[Aviation Week]]'' online website, 16 April 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2013.</ref> The vehicle was to have had VTOL capability and a {{convert|280|mi|km|adj=mid}} range. [[AAI Corporation]] and [[Lockheed Martin]] were awarded contracts.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Warwick|first=Graham|title=Is Darpa's Fly-Drive Transformer on the Right Road?|url=http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:37ed3841-153e-4d86-950c-3b027e3d2ea2|magazine=Aviation Week|access-date=3 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910192542/http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7|archive-date=10 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The program was cancelled in 2013.

The [[Parajet Skycar]] utilises a [[paramotor]] for propulsion and a [[parafoil]] for lift. The main body consists of a modified dune buggy. It has a top speed of {{convert|80|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} and a maximum range of {{convert|180|mi|km}} in flight. On the ground it has a top speed of {{convert|112|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} and a maximum range of {{convert|249|mi|km}}. Parajet flew and drove its prototype from [[London]] to [[Timbuktu]] in January 2009.

The [[I-TEC Maverick|Maverick Flying Dune Buggy]] was designed by the [[Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center]] of Florida as an off-road vehicle that could unfurl an advanced parachute and then travel by air over impassable terrain when roadways were no longer usable. The {{convert|1100|lb|kg|adj=mid}} 'Maverick' vehicle is powered by a {{convert|128|hp|abbr=on}} engine that can also drive a five-bladed pusher [[Propeller (aircraft)|propeller]]. It was initially conceived in order to help [[Christian ministry|minister]] to remote [[Amazon Rainforest|Amazon rainforest]] communities, but will also be marketed for visual [[pipeline transport|pipeline inspection]] and other similar activities in desolate areas or difficult terrain.<ref>Logan Ward, [http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4332920.html 10 Most Brilliant Innovators of 2009: I-TEC's Flying Dune Buggy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212152710/http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4332920.html |date=12 February 2010 }}, ''Popular Mechanics'', November 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.</ref>

The [[Plane Driven PD-1 Roadable Glastar]] is a modification to the Glastar Sportsman GS-2 to make a practical roadable aircraft. The approach is novel in that it uses a mostly stock aircraft with a modified landing gear "pod" that carries the engine for road propulsion. The wings fold along the side, and the main landing gear and engine pod slide aft in driving configuration to compensate for the rearward center of gravity with the wings folded, and provide additional stability for road travel.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Sport Aviation|title=The PD-1 Roadable Glastar|author=Budd Davisson|date=October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Company Moves On Transformative Roadable Glasair|date=20 October 2010|url=http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/plane_driven_roadable_aircraft_pdx_203489-1.html|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-date=11 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611231238/http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/plane_driven_roadable_aircraft_pdx_203489-1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Butterfly Super Sky Cycle|Super Sky Cycle]] was an American [[Homebuilt aircraft|homebuilt]] roadable [[gyroplane]] designed and manufactured by [[The Butterfly Aircraft LLC]].<ref name=sscGiz>Blain, Loz. [http://www.gizmag.com/go/7135/ "The flying motorcycle – road-registered and available now"] ''GizMag'', 17 April 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2012.</ref> It is a registered [[motorcycle]].<ref name=sscTel>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/8878687/Pictures-of-the-day-9-November-2011.html?image=5 "Pictures of the day"] ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 9 November 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2012.</ref>
At the 2014 Pioneers Festival at Wien (Austria) [[AeroMobil]] presented their version 3.0 of their flying car. The prototype was conceived as a vehicle that can be converted from an automobile to an aircraft. The version 2.5 proof-of-concept took 20 years to develop and first flew in 2013. CEO Juraj Vaculik said that the company planned to move flying cars to market: "the plan is that in 2017 we'll be able to announce&nbsp;... the first flying roadster."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mack|first1=Eric|title=Finally! A Flying Car Could Go On Sale By 2017|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2015/03/16/finally-a-flying-car-could-go-on-sale-as-soon-as-2017/|website=Forbes|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> In 2016, AeroMobil was test-flying a prototype that obtained Slovak [[Ultralight aviation|ultralight]] certification. When the final product will be available or how much it will cost is not yet specified.<ref name="aeromobil">{{cite web|url=http://aeromobil.com/ |title=AeroMobil: Flying car |website=aeromobil.com |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> In 2018, it unveiled a concept that resembled a flying sportscar with VTOL capability.<ref>
{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/will-futuristic-flying-car-ever-get-ground-ncna859171|title=Will this futuristic flying car ever get off the ground?|website=NBC News|date=22 March 2018 }}</ref> 
The [[Aeromobil]] <!--not [[AeroMobile]]-->2.5 has folding wings and a Rotax 912 engine. It can travel at {{convert|124|mph|order=flip}} with a range of {{convert|430|mi|order=flip}}, and flew for the first time in 2013.<ref>Alyssa Danigelis. "[http://news.discovery.com/autos/future-of-transportation/slovakian-flying-car-prototype-takes-off-131021.htm Slovakian Flying Car Prototype Takes Off] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141119073940/http://news.discovery.com/autos/future-of-transportation/slovakian-flying-car-prototype-takes-off-131021.htm |date=19 November 2014 }}" ''[[Discovery News]]'', 21 October 2013. Accessed: 22 October 2013.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nyteknik.se/popularteknik/har-lyfter-en-ny-flygbil-6401976|title=Här lyfter en ny flygbil|first=Jan|last=Melin|website=[[Ny Teknik]]}}</ref> On 29 October 2014, Slovak startup AeroMobil s.r.o. unveiled [[AeroMobil s.r.o. AeroMobil|AeroMobil 3.0]]<ref name="aeromobil"/> 
at Vienna Pioneers Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/10/29/silicon-valley-can-keep-its-teslas-and-robotic-cars-slovakias-aeromobil-just-unveiled-a-flying-car |title=VB |website=venturebeat.com |date=29 October 2014 |access-date=30 October 2014}}</ref>

Klein Vision in [[Slovakia]] have developed a prototype [[Klein Vision AirCar|AirCar]], which drives like a sports car and for flight has a pusher propeller with twin tailbooms, and foldout wings. In June 2021, the prototype carried out a 35-minute flight between airports.<ref>Zoe Kleinman; "[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57651843 Flying car completes test flight between airports]", BBC, 30 June 2021.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.klein-vision.com/|title=Klein Vision – Flying Car}}</ref> It was [[type certificate|type certified]] as an aircraft in January 2022.<ref name="Phelps24Jan22">{{cite web|url= https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/aircar-notches-slovakian-airworthiness-certification/|title= AirCar Notches Slovakian Airworthiness Certification|access-date= 24 January 2022|last= Phelps|first= Mark|work= AVweb|date= 24 January 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220126124301/https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/aircar-notches-slovakian-airworthiness-certification/|archive-date= 26 January 2022|url-status= live}}</ref>

The [[Terrafugia Transition]] is a roadable aircraft intended to be classed as a [[Personal Air Vehicle]]. It can fold its wings in 30 seconds and drive the front wheels, enabling it to operate both as a traditional road vehicle and as a general aviation aeroplane with a range of {{convert|500|mi|km|abbr=on}}. An operational prototype was displayed at [[EAA AirVenture Oshkosh|Oshkosh]] in 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airventure.org/news/2008/7sat2/terrafugia.html |title=Terrafugia ready for road, flight testing |website=Airventure.org |date=2 August 2008 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> and its first flight took place on 2009-03-05.<ref>{{cite web|last=Haines |first=Thomas B. |url=http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2009/090319terrafugia.html |title=AOPA Online: First roadable airplane takes flight |website=Aopa.org |date=19 March 2009 |access-date=15 April 2010}}</ref> It will carry two people plus luggage and its [[Rotax 912#Specifications (Rotax 912S ULS)|Rotax 912S]] engine operates on premium unleaded gas.<ref>{{citation|publisher=The New York Times|title=For $279,000, Terrafugia Transition Puts the Wind Beneath Your Wings|date=5 April 2012|work=Wheels blog|author=Jerry Garrett|url=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/for-279000-terrafugia-transition-puts-the-wind-beneath-your-wings/|access-date=20 April 2013}}</ref> It was approved by the [[FAA]] in June 2010.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Carroll|first=Eoin|title=Flying Car &ndash; just like the Jetsons &ndash; gets green light from FAA|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0629/Flying-Car-just-like-the-Jetsons-gets-green-light-from-FAA-VIDEO|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=25 August 2013}}</ref>

The production-ready single-engine, roadable [[PAL-V Liberty]] autogyro, or [[gyrocopter]], debuted at the [[Geneva Motor Show]] in March 2018, then became the first flying car in production, and was set to launch in 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2156412/worlds-first-flying-car-two-seater-pal-v-liberty-track|title=World's first flying car on track for 2020 launch|date=25 July 2018|website=[[South China Morning Post]]}}</ref> with full production scheduled for 2021 in [[Gujarat, India]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/auto-news/flying-car-pal-v-to-be-built-in-gujarat-mou-inked-with-dutch-firm/articleshow/74558020.cms|title=Flying car PAL-V to be built in Gujarat, MoU inked with Dutch firm|work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref> The [[PAL-V ONE]] is a hybrid of a gyrocopter with a leaning 3-wheel motorcycle. It has two seats and a 160&nbsp;kW flight certified gasoline engine. It has a top speed of {{convert|180|km/h|mi/h|0|abbr=on}} on land and in air, and [[Maximum Takeoff Weight|weighs]] {{convert|910|kg|lb|abbr=on}} max.<ref name=palvGiz>Quick, Darren. [http://www.gizmag.com/pal-v-flying-car/22032/ "PAL-V flying car makes successful first test flight"] ''GizMag'', 2 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pal-v.com/|title=PAL-V |publisher=PAL-V |access-date=7 October 2010}}</ref>

On 15 April 2021, [[Los Altos, California]], became home to the world's first consumer flying car showroom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.suasnews.com/2021/04/announcing-aska-the-electric-take-off-and-landing-flying-car-for-consumers/|title=Announcing ASKA The Electric Take Off And Landing Flying Car For Consumers|date=15 April 2021}}</ref> However, as yet there are no certified flying cars in production.

In 2023 Doroni Aerospace earned an official [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] Airworthiness Certification. It is powered by ten independent propulsion systems. They company claimed a top speed of 140&nbsp;mph and a 60-mile range. It includes two electric motors with patented ducted propellers. The machine is 23&nbsp;ft long and 14&nbsp;ft wide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Peter |date=2023-12-01 |title=Doroni's all-electric flying car gets flight certified in the US |url=https://electrek.co/2023/12/01/doronis-all-electric-flying-car-gets-flight-certified-us/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Electrek |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Design==
A flying car must be capable of safe and reliable operation both on public roads and in the air. Current types require manual control by both a driver and a pilot. For mass adoption, it would also need to be environmentally friendly, able to fly without a fully qualified pilot at the controls, and come at affordable purchase and running costs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pan |first1=Gaofeng |last2=Alouini |first2=Mohamed-Slim |title=Flying Car Transportation System: Advances, Techniques, and Challenges |journal=[[IEEE Access]] |date=2021 |volume=9 |pages=24586–24603 |doi=10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3056798 |doi-access=free|arxiv=2005.00832 |bibcode=2021IEEEA...924586P }}</ref>

Design configurations vary widely, from modified road vehicles such as the [[AVE Mizar]] at one extreme to modified aircraft such as the [[Plane Driven PD-1 Roadable Glastar|Plane Driven PD-1]] at the other. Most are dedicated flying car designs. While wheeled propulsion is necessary on the road, in the air lift may be generated by fixed wings, helicopter rotors or [[powered lift|direct engine power]]. The [[Alef Aeronautics|Alef Model A project]] offers an unusual configuration in which the body of the car is hollow and the sides are slabs; in the air it rolls sideways so that the slabs become a biplane wing. The cabin remains upright.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/alef-debuts-model-a-flying-car-and-hopes-to-sell-it-starting-in-2025/|title=Alef Debuts Model A Flying Car and Hopes to Sell It Starting in 2025|date=19 October 2022}}</ref>

===Lift===
Like other aircraft, lift in flight is provided by a [[fixed wing]], spinning [[rotorcraft|rotor]] or direct [[powered lift]]. The powered [[helicopter rotor]] and direct lift both offer [[VTOL]] capability, while the fixed wing and [[autogyro]] rotor take off conventionally from a runway.

The simplest and earliest approach was to take a driveable car and attach removable flying surfaces and propeller. However, when on the road, such a design must either tow its removable parts on a separate trailer or leave them behind and drive back to them before taking off again.

Other conventional takeoff fixed-wing designs, such as the [[Terrafugia Transition]], include folding wings that the car carries with it when driven on the road.

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) is attractive, as it avoids the need for a runway and greatly increases operational flexibility. Typical designs include [[rotorcraft]] and ducted fan [[powered lift]] configurations.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/13/terrafugia_tfx_followup/|title=Your Flying Car? Delayed again, but you WILL get it, says Terrafugia|website=theregister.co.uk|date=13 May 2013|access-date=15 September 2013}}</ref> Most design concepts have inherent problems.

Rotorcraft include [[helicopter]]s with powered rotors and [[autogyro]]s with free-spinning rotors. For road use, a rotor must, like many naval helicopters, be either two-bladed or foldable. The [[quadcopter]] requires only a simple control system with no tail. The autogyro relies on a separate thrust system to build up airspeed, spin the rotor and generate lift. However, some autogyros have rotors that can be spun up on the ground and then disengaged, allowing the aircraft to jump-start vertically. The [[PAL-V Liberty]] is an example of the autogyro type.

Ducted-fan aircraft such as the [[Moller Skycar]] tend to easily lose stability and have been unable to travel at greater than 30–40 [[knot (unit)|knots]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/when-cars-fly-1.341214|title=When cars fly|website=haaretz.com|date=4 February 2011|access-date=18 October 2013}}</ref>

===Power===
The flying car places unique demands on the vehicle power train. For a given all-up weight, an aero engine must deliver higher power than its typical road equivalent. However, on the road the vehicle must handle well and not be overpowered. Power must also be diverted between the airborne and road drive mechanisms. Some designs therefore have multiple engines, with the road engine being supplemented, or even replaced by, additional flight engines.

As with other vehicles, power has traditionally been supplied by [[internal combustion engine]]s, but electric power is undergoing rapid development. It is coming into increasing use on road vehicles, but the weight of the batteries currently makes it unsuited to aircraft. However its low environmental signature makes it attractive for the short trips and dense urban environments envisaged for the flying car.

On the road, most flying cars drive the road wheels in the conventional way. A few use the aircraft propeller in similar manner to an [[airboat]], but this is inefficient.

In the air, a flying car will typically obtain forward thrust from one or more propellers or ducted fans. A few have a powered [[helicopter rotor]]. Jet engines are not used due to the ground hazard posed by the hot, high-velocity exhaust stream.

===Safety===
In order to operate safely, a flying car must be certified independently as both a road vehicle and an aircraft, by the respective authorities. The person controlling the vehicle must also be licensed as both driver and pilot, and the vehicle maintained according to both regimes.

Mechanically, the requirements of powered flight are so challenging that every opportunity must be taken to keep weight to a minimum. A typical airframe is therefore lightweight and easily damaged. On the other hand, a road vehicle must be able to withstand significant impact loads from casual incidents while stationary, as well as low-speed and high-speed impacts, and the high strength this demands can add considerable weight. A practical flying car must be both strong enough to pass road safety standards and light enough to fly. Any propeller or rotor blade also creates a hazard to passers-by when on the ground, especially if it is spinning; they must be permanently shrouded, or folded away on landing.

For widespread adoption, as envisaged in the near future, it will not be practicable for every driver to qualify as a pilot and the rigorous maintenance currently demanded for aircraft will be uneconomic. Flying cars will have to become largely [[autonomous vehicle|autonomous]] and highly reliable. The density of traffic will require automated routing and collision-avoidance systems. To manage the inevitable periodic failures and emergency landings, there will need to be sufficient designated landing sites across built-up areas. In addition, poor weather conditions could make the craft unsafe to fly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/5-reasons-you-dont-want-flying-car.htm|title=Top 5 Reasons You Don't Want a Flying Car|website=howstuffworks.com|date=3 October 2011 |access-date=10 October 2013}}</ref>

Regulatory regimes are being developed in anticipation of a large increase in the numbers of autonomous flying cars and [[personal air vehicle]]s in the near future, and compliance with these regimes will be necessary for safe flight.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}{{Where|date=May 2023}}

===Control===
A basic flying car requires the person at the controls to be both a qualified road driver and aircraft pilot. This is impractical for the majority of people and so wider adoption will require computer systems to de-skill piloting. These skills include aircraft manoeuvring, navigation and emergency procedures, all in potentially crowded airspace. The onboard control system will also need to interact with other systems such as air traffic control and collision-risk monitoring. A practical flying car may need to be capable of full [[autonomous vehicle|autonomy]], in which people are present only as passengers.

===Environment===
A flying car capable of widespread use must operate acceptably within a heavily populated urban environment. The lift and propulsion systems must be quiet enough not to cause a nuisance, and must not create excessive pollution. For example, pollution emissions standards for road vehicles must be met.

The clear environmental benefits of electric power are a strong incentive for its development.

===Cost===
The needs for the propulsion system to be both small and powerful, the vehicle structure both light and strong, and the control systems fully integrated and autonomous, can only be met at present, if at all, using advanced and expensive technologies. This may prove a significant barrier to widespread adoption.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Millennium Book: Your Essential All-purpose Guide to the Year 2000|author=Gail Collins|author2=Dan Collins|date=1 December 1990|publisher=Main Street Books|isbn=978-0-385-41165-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aZGZPAAACAAJ}}</ref>

Flying cars are used for relatively short distances at high frequency. They travel at lower speeds and altitudes than conventional passenger aircraft. However optimal fuel efficiency for aeroplanes is obtained at higher speeds and altitudes, so a flying car's energy efficiency will be lower than that of a conventional aircraft.<ref>Barney L. Capehart (2007). ''Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology'', Volume 1. CRC Press. {{ISBN|0-8493-3653-8}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8493-3653-9}}.</ref> Similarly, the flying car's road performance is compromised by the requirements of flight and the need to carry around the various extra parts, so it is also less economical than a conventional motor car.

==Industry groups==
In April 2012, the [[International Flying Car Association]] was established to be the "central resource center for information and communication between the flying car industry, news networks, governments, and those seeking further information worldwide".<ref>{{cite news|title=IFCA Announces Flying Cars About To Hit World Market|url=http://www.flyingcarassociation.com|access-date=2 April 2012|newspaper=Various|date=2 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405201201/http://www.flyingcarassociation.com/ |archive-date=5 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Because flying cars need practical regulations that are mostly dealt with on a regional level, several regional associations were established as well, with the [[European Flying Car Association]] (EFCA) representing these national member associations on a pan-European level (51 independent countries, including the [[European Union]] Member States, the Accession Candidates and Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine).<ref name=EFCA>{{cite web|title=European Flying Car Association|url=http://european-flying-car-association.org|website=EFCA|access-date=31 August 2015}}</ref> The associations are also organizing racing competitions for roadable aircraft in Europe, the European Roadable Aircraft Prix (ERAP), mainly to increase awareness about this type of aircraft among a broader audience.<ref name=EFCARace>{{cite web|title=EFCA launches roadable aircraft competition in Europe|url=http://carsfly.eu/8-general/34-european-flying-car-association-to-increase-adoption-of-flying-cars|website=EFCA|access-date=21 March 2016}}</ref>

==List of flying cars and roadable aircraft==
{{hatnote|This list may not be complete. Please add more entries as you find them in [[WP:RS|reliable sources]].}}

{{avilisthead|role}}
|-
| [[Aerauto PL.5C]]
| Italy
| Folding wings
| 1949
| Flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[Aerocar]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 1946
| Flown
| 5
| Also known as the "Taylor Aerocar".  4 Aerocars and one Aerocar III built (The Mk. II was not a flying car).
|-
| [[Aerocar 2000]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 2000 approx.
| Flown
| 
| 
|-
| [[AeroMobil]]
| Slovakia
| Folding wings
| 2013
| Flown
| 
| v3.0 crashed. 4.0 under development
|-
| [[Alef Aeronautics|Alef]] Model A
| US
| Tilting biplane
| 2023
| Unbuilt
| 0
| Attracted significant investment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2022/10/19/alef-reveals-prototypes-for-a-flying-car-thats-really-a-flying-car|title=Alef Reveals Prototypes For A Flying Car That's Really A Flying Car|website=[[Forbes]] |date=19 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/flying-car-by-california-startup-alef-attracts-early-tesla-investor-2022-10-20/|title=Flying car by California startup Alef attracts early Tesla investor|website=[[Reuters]] |date=19 October 2022}}</ref>
|-
| [[Audi Pop.Up Next]]
| Germany
| Quadcopter
| 2018
| Unbuilt
| 1
| 
|-
| [[Autogiro Company of America AC-35]]
| US
| Autogyro
| 1935
| Flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[AVE Mizar]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 1971
| Flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[Norman Bel Geddes|Bel Geddes]]' "Motorcar No. 9."
| US
| Folding wings
| 1945
| Unbuilt
| 
| Concept {{citation needed|date=July 2021|reason=No mention in linked article}}
|-
| Bristol Siddeley flying car
| UK
| Ducted fan
| 1960
| Unbuilt
| 
| Concept <ref>{{cite web | url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/f9579ea7-10ac-41f1-b298-e2229f5d7cd7 | title=Project study: The Bristol Siddeley flying car }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://russellphillips.uk/project-prodigal-flying-cars/ | title=The British Army's Flying Cars | date=17 March 2020 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Bryan Autoplane]] 
| US
| Folding wings
| 1953
| Flown
| 2
| Model II converted to Model III.
|-
| [[Butterfly Super Sky Cycle]]
| US
| Autogyro
| 2009
| Flown
| 
| Homebuilt autogyro. Registered motorcycle
|-
| [[Convair Model 116|Convair Model 116 ConVairCar]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 1946
| Flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[Convair Model 118|Convair Model 118 ConVairCar]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 1947
| Flown
| 2
| Second vehicle re-used the aircraft section from the first.
|-
| [[Curtiss Autoplane]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 1917
| Not flown
| 1
| Achieved short hops
|-
| [[Dixon Flying Ginny]]
| US
| Helicopter
| 1940
| Flown
| 1
| Co-axial rotor.<ref>G. Sidney Waits; "[https://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2009/01/02/dixon-helicopter-photo-was-accurate/ Dixon helicopter photo was accurate]", ''The Andalusia Star-News'', 2 January 2009. (Retrieved 20 July 2021)</ref>
|-
| Ebner Air Car<ref>Aviation magazine 15-7-1985</ref>
| US
| Ducted Fan
| 1985
| 
| 1
| Concept
|-
| [[Ford Volante]]
| US
| Ducted fan
| 1958
| Unbuilt
| 
| Concept.<ref name="yesterday">{{cite book |title=Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future|author=Joseph J. Cor|author2=Brian Horrigan|date=15 May 1996 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-0801853999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CsW34SciarAC|ref=yesterday}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |author=Lionel Salisbury |url=http://www.roadabletimes.com/roadables-vtol_volanteFord.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714170926/http://www.roadabletimes.com/roadables-vtol_volanteFord.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 July 2008 |title=Volante (Ford) VTOL |website=Roadable Times |access-date=19 October 2018 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Fulton Airphibian]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 1946
| Flown
| 4
| 
|-
| [[Hafner Rotabuggy]]
| UK
| Detachable rotor
| 1942
| Flown
| 
| [[Willys MB]] jeep, air-towed as a [[rotor kite]].
|-
| Handley Page HP.120<ref>Aeroplane Monthly 1977-10</ref><ref>https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/LargePrintGuides/Height.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
| UK
| Lift fan
| 1961
| Unflown
| 
| 2-man VTOL convertible "Jumping Jeep" project
|-
| [[I-TEC Maverick]]
| US
| Parafoil
| 2008
| Flown
| 
| 
|-
| [[Klein Vision AirCar]]
| Slovakia
| Folding wings
| 2021
| Flown
| 1
| Production model in development.
|-
| [[Lebouder Autoplane]]
| France
| Detachable wings
| 1973
| Flown
| 1
| Won prizes.{{clarify|date=July 2021|reason=What prizes?}}
|-
| [[Moller M400 Skycar]]
| US
| Vectored fan
| 1960s
| Not flown
| 
| Unsuccessful as of 2019
|-
| ''[[Monster Garage]]'' "Red Baron"
| US
| Detachable wings
| 2005
| Flown
| 1
| Based on a [[Panoz Esperante]] sports car, with detachable airframe.<ref>"Mike Allen; [https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/how-to/a294/1751557/ Jesse James Builds A Flying Car On 'Monster Garage']", ''Popular Mechanics'', 29 July 2005. (retrieved 11 July 2021)</ref>
|-
| [[PAL-V Liberty]]
| Netherlands
| Autogyro
| 2012
| Flown
| 
| Production model under development.
|-
| [[Parajet Skycar]]
| UK
| Parafoil
| 2008
| Flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep]]
| US
| Ducted rotor
| 1959
| Flown
| 
| VTOL "flying jeep".
|-
| [[Plane Driven PD-1]]
| US
| Folding wings
| 2010
| Flown
| 2
| Modified [[Glasair Sportsman 2+2]] aircraft. The second prototype is designated the PD-2.
|-
| [[Samson Switchblade]]
| US
| Folding wings
| 2023
| Flown
| 1
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-15 |title=First flight: Switchblade flying car — General Aviation News |url=https://generalaviationnews.com/2023/11/15/first-flight-switchblade-flying-car/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=generalaviationnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| [[Scaled Composites Model 367 BiPod]]
| US
| Detachable wings
| 2011
| Not flown
| 1
| Twin-fuselage technology development vehicle. Not flown.
|-
| [[Skroback Roadable Airplane]]
| US
| Multiplane
| 1925
| Not flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[SkyRider X2R]]
| US
| 
| 
| Unbuilt
| 
|-
| [[Terrafugia Transition]]
| US
| Folding wings
| 2009
| Flown
| 
| 
|-
| [[Terrafugia TF-X]]
| US
| Hybrid
| 
| Unbuilt
| 
| VTOL [[convertiplane]] with folding wings and rotors.
|-
| [[Urban Aeronautics X-Hawk]]
| Israel
| 
| 
| Unbuilt
| 
| VTOL. Under development.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.urbanaero.com/category/x-hawk |title=Urban Aeronautics |website=Urbanaero.com |access-date=7 November 2012 |archive-date=6 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006013840/https://www.urbanaero.com/category/x-hawk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
|-
| Vlachos Triphibian
| US
|
| 1936
| 
| 
| {{citation needed|date=November 2022|reason=no liked article}}
|-
| [[Wagner Aerocar]]
| Germany
| Helicopter
| 1965
| Flown
| 
| 
|-
| [[Waterman Arrowbile]]
| US
| Folding wings
| 1935
| Flown
| 1
| 
|-
| [[Whitehead No. 21]] {{Dubious|Whitehead|date=August 2024}}
| US
| Folding wings
| 1901
| Not flown
| 1
| 
|}

==Popular culture==
The flying car was and remains a common feature of [[futurology|conceptions of the future]], both predicted and imaginary.<ref name="Time-never-come"/>

===Anticipation===
[[File:Bristol Siddeley Flying car model - 26222188948.jpg|thumb|Bristol Siddeley flying car model]]

Flying cars have been under development since the early days of motor transport and aviation, and many futurologists have predicted their imminent arrival. Aircraft manufacturer [[Glenn Curtiss]] unveiled his unflyable [[Curtiss Autoplane|Autoplane]] in 1917. In 1940, vehicle manufacturer [[Henry Ford]] predicted that; "Mark my word: a combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come.”<ref name="popsci2001">''Popular Science:'' [http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-space/article/2001-12/looking-back-henry-fords-flivver Looking back at Henry Ford's Flivver: A plane-car for the man of average means], December 2001 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116082811/http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviationspace/8ca6d4d03cb84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html |date=16 November 2007 }}</ref>

From 1945, industrial designer [[Norman Bel Geddes]] promoted his concept for a streamlined flying car with folding wings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Norman Bel Geddes Database |url=https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/nbgpublic/details.cfm?id=412 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=norman.hrc.utexas.edu}}</ref> In the late 1950s, [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]'s Advanced Design studio publicised a 3/8 scale concept car model, the Volante Tri-Athodyne. It featured three ducted fans, each with its own motor, that would lift it off the ground and move it through the air. Ford admitted that "the day where there will be an aero-car in every garage is still some time off", also suggesting that "the Volante indicates one direction that the styling of such a vehicle would take".<ref name="yesterday"/><ref name="auto"/>

===Where's my flying car?===
Despite a century of anticipation, no flying car has yet proved a practical proposition and they remain an experimental curiosity. This long-term failure to make any impact on society has led to the [[meme]], "Where's my flying car?"

{{Blockquote|text=Here we are, less than a month until the turn of the millennium, and what I want to know is, what happened to the flying cars? We're about to become Americans of the 21st century. People have been predicting what we'd be like for more than 100 years, and our accoutrements don't entirely live up to expectations.&nbsp;... Our failure to produce flying cars seems like a particular betrayal since it was so central to our image.|source=(1999) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=19991212&id=gZlIAAAAIBAJ&pg=4314,5320971 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130915204753/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=19991212&id=gZlIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pgoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4314,5320971 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 September 2013 |title=Future shock: Why there'll be no flying cars |work=[[The Post and Courier]] |date=12 December 1999 |access-date=15 September 2013 }}</ref>|author=Gail Collins}}

{{Blockquote|text=This new millennium sucks! It's exactly the same as the old millennium! You know why? No flying cars!|source=(2018)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2010-10/death-and-rebirth-flying-car|title=The Unexpected Rebirth of the Flying Car|work=Popular Science|access-date=21 January 2018|language=en}}</ref>|author=[[Lewis Black]]}}

The question "Where's my flying car?" has become emblematic of the wider failure of many modern technologies to match [[futurist]]ic visions that were promoted in earlier decades.<ref>''Where's My Flying Car? Science, Science Fiction, and a Changing Vision of the Future'', Symposium, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2014.[https://www.aaas.org/events/wheres-my-flying-car-science-science-fiction-and-changing-vision-future]</ref><ref>J. Storrs Hall; ''Where Is My Flying Car?: A Memoir of Future Past'', Kindle e-book, Amazon, 2018.</ref>

===Fictional flying cars===
[[File:Spinner3.jpg|thumb|''[[Blade Runner]]'' [[Spinner (Blade Runner)|Spinner]] prop car at Disney/MGM Studios]]
[[File:Back To The Future Replica (15136643779) (2).jpg|thumb|The time machine DeLorean of ''Back to the Future'' in flying configuration with doors open]]
{{main article|List of films featuring flying cars}}

The flying car has been depicted in many works of fantasy and science fiction.<ref>{{cite book |last=Onosko |first=Tim |url=https://archive.org/details/wasntfuturewonde00onos/page/24 |title=Wasn't the Future Wonderful?: A View of Trends and Technology From the 1930s |publisher=Dutton |year=1979 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wasntfuturewonde00onos/page/24 24, 51, 152–153] |isbn=0-525-47551-6 |access-date=27 June 2015 }}</ref> Some notable examples include:

*[[Supercar (TV series)|Supercar]] starred in its own children's TV show in the UK, between 1961 and 1962. It was jet-powered with VTOL capability, and on the road it hovered rather than used wheels. Created by [[Gerry Anderson]], it was the first show to credit his ''[[supermarionation]]'' puppet technology.<ref>Daniel DiManna; "[https://thenewswheel.com/remembering-gerry-andersons-supercar/ Remembering Gerry Anderson's ‘Supercar'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720163247/https://thenewswheel.com/remembering-gerry-andersons-supercar/ |date=20 July 2021 }}", ''The News Wheel'', 30 April 2021. (retrieved 20 July 2021)</ref>
*''[[The Jetsons]]'' American animated cartoon sitcom was originally aired from 1962 to 1963. It featured flying cars as ubiquitous. They typically had a large bubble roof, the design being inspired by a Ford concept road car from 1954, the [[Ford FX-Atmos|FX-Atmos]].<ref>John Orlin; [https://techcrunch.com/2012/01/01/its-2012-already-so-where-are-all-the-jetsons-flying-cars/ "It's 2012 Already So Where Are All The Jetsons Flying Cars"], TechCrunch, 1 January 2012. (retrieved 19 July 2021)</ref>
*The film [[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang]] (1968) features a car that flies via magic.
*A flying 1974 [[AMC Matador]] coupe features in ''[[The Man with the Golden Gun (film)|The Man with the Golden Gun]]'' (1974), the ninth in the [[List of James Bond films|''James Bond'' film series]].<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=LKh7qgJ8hT8C&q=AMC+Matador+%22The+Man+with+the+Golden+Gun%22&pg=PA99 |page=99 |title=Road hogs: Detroit's big, beautiful luxury performance cars of the 1960s |first=Eric |last=Peters |publisher=Motorbooks |year=2011 |isbn=9780760333884 |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref> The Matador coupe is transformed into an aeroplane in similar manner to the [[AVE Mizar]], by attaching a large wing with engine and tail unit to the car.<ref>{{cite web |title=RIP Christopher Lee, Driver of One of the Greatest Bond Cars of All Time |url=https://thenewswheel.com/rip-christopher-lee-driver-of-one-of-the-greatest-bond-cars-of-all-time/ |website=The News Wheel |date=11 June 2015 |access-date=10 May 2021 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=691729&page=0 |last=Tannert |first=Chuck |title=Top 10: getaway cars (AMC Matador in "The Man with the Golden Gun") |publisher=MSN Autos |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203055510/http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=691729&page=0 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref> In aircraft configuration it is {{convert|9.15|m|0|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|12.80|m|0|abbr=on}} in span and {{convert|3.08|m|0|abbr=on}} high.<ref name="chronological">{{cite web|url= http://www.carenthusiast.com/news0910/bond_3.htm |title=A Chronological History of the James Bond Film Vehicles #6. Flying Cars in "The Man with the Golden Gun" |website=carenthusiast.com |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref> The film prop was not airworthy and a {{convert|1|m|in|abbr=on}}-long [[remote control]] [[scale model|model]] was used for the aerial sequences.<ref name="chronological"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Weisseg |first=Mark |title=Flying Muscle Cars: Fact or Fiction? |url= https://fastmusclecar.com/flying-muscle-cars-fact-or-fiction/readers-rides/ |work=Fast Muscle Car |date=20 January 2016 |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref>
*In the ''[[Blade Runner]]'' (original 1982) films, flying cars are called [[Spinner (Blade Runner)|spinner]]s. They have [[VTOL|vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)]] capability.<ref>Sammon, pp. 79–80</ref> The vehicle was conceived and designed by [[Syd Mead]] who described it as an "aerodyne"—a vehicle which directs air downward to create [[lift (force)|lift]], though press kits for the film stated that the spinner was propelled by three engines: "conventional [[internal combustion engine|internal combustion]], jet, and [[anti-gravity]]"<ref name=SJPSTop40>{{citation|title=The top 40 cars from feature films: 30. Police Spinner |url=http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/the-top-40-cars-from-feature-films-30-26/ |website=ScreenJunkies.com |access-date=27 July 2011 |date=30 March 2010 |quote=though press kits for the film stated that the spinner was propelled by three engines: 'conventional internal combustion, jet and anti-gravity'. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404023133/http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/the-top-40-cars-from-feature-films-30-26/ |archive-date=4 April 2014 }}</ref> A Spinner prop is on permanent exhibit at the [[Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame]] in Seattle, Washington.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.empsfm.org/documents/press/EMPSFMBrochure.pdf |publisher=Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame |title=EMPSFM Brochure |access-date=27 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124232804/http://www.empsfm.org/documents/press/EMPSFMBrochure.pdf |archive-date=24 January 2011 }}</ref>
*In the ''[[Back to the Future]]'' (1985) films, the [[DeLorean time machine]] car was modified to be capable of normal flight.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tate |first=Karl |date=2015-10-21 |title=How the Time Traveling 'Back to the Future' DeLorean Works (Infographic) |url=https://www.livescience.com/52548-how-the-time-traveling-back-to-the-future-delorean-works-infographic.html |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref>
*In the film ''[[The Fifth Element]]'' (1997), as with ''The Jetsons'', flying cars are the main means of personal transport. The production design for the film was developed by [[Franco-Belgian comics|French comics]] creators [[Jean Giraud]]<ref name=av>{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/r-i-p-moebius-comics-legend-and-metal-hurlant-co-foun-1798230391 |title=R.I.P. Moebius, comics legend and Métal Hurlant co-founder |last1=Heller |first1=Jason |date=10 March 2012 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |access-date=11 May 2013}}</ref> and [[Jean-Claude Mézières]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://io9.com/5922655/luc-besson-adapting-classic-time+travel-comic-created-by-fifth-element-concept-artist |title=Luc Besson adapting classic time-travel comic created by Fifth Element concept artist |last1=Anders |first1=Charlie |date=1 July 2012 |work=[[io9]] |access-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111071418/http://io9.com/5922655/luc-besson-adapting-classic-time-travel-comic-created-by-fifth-element-concept-artist |archive-date=11 November 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Director Luc Besson had been inspired by Mézières' book ''[[The Circles of Power]]''.<ref name=cbs>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jean-paul-gaultier-fashions-wild-child/ |title=Jean Paul Gaultier: Fashion's wild child |last1= Teichner |first1=Martha |date=22 January 2012 |work=[[CBS News]] |access-date=11 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110708/ttlife1.htm |title=Flirting with change |last1=Sehajpal |first1=Ashima |date=8 July 2011 |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |access-date=11 May 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Amphibious automobile]]
* [[Intermodal passenger transport]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last1=Ahmed |first1=Sheikh Shahriar |last2=Hulme |first2=Kevin F. |last3=Fountas |first3=Grigorios |last4=Eker |first4=Ugur |last5=Benedyk |first5=Irina V. |last6=Still |first6=Stephen E. |last7=Anastasopoulos |first7=Panagiotis Ch |title=The Flying Car—Challenges and Strategies Toward Future Adoption |journal=[[Frontiers in Built Environment]] |date=2020 |volume=6 |doi=10.3389/fbuil.2020.00106 |doi-access=free}}
* BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3676694.stm Flying cars in 25 years], BBC News Online, 22 September 2004.
* Brown, Stuart F. [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/automobiles/why-were-not-driving-the-friendly-skies.html?ref=technology Why We're Not Driving the Friendly Skies], ''The New York Times'' online, 22 August 2014, and in print on 24 August 2014, on p. AU1 of the New York edition.
* {{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Adam P. |last2=Shaheen |first2=Susan A. |last3=Farrar |first3=Emily M. |title=Urban Air Mobility: History, Ecosystem, Market Potential, and Challenges |journal=IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems |date=2021 |volume=22 |issue=9 |pages=6074–6087 |doi=10.1109/TITS.2021.3082767|url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8nh0s83q }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Farsi |first1=Qusai Sulaiman Al |last2=Myo |first2=Thirein |last3=Saeed |first3=Burhan |title=Trends and Challenges in Realizing a Flying Car |journal=Journal of Electrical Systems |date=2024 |volume=20 |issue=5s |pages=709–718 |doi=10.52783/jes.2295 |doi-access=free}}
* Feltman, Rachel. [http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/news/why-dont-we-have-flying-cars-15128771 Why Don't We Have Flying Cars?], ''Popular Mechanics'', 21 February 2013.
* Hakim, Danny. [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/17/science/a-helicopter-of-ones-own.html A Helicopter of One's Own], ''The New York Times'' online, 16 June 2014, and in print on 17 June 2014, p. D2 of the New York edition.
* Hodgdon, Theodore, A.; Onosko, Tim (ed.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=2XKQAAAACAAJ "At Last —a Convertible Auto-Plane", in ''Wasn't the Future Wonderful?: A View of Trends and Technology from the 1930s''], Dutton, 1979, pp.&nbsp;152–153, {{ISBN|0525475516}}, {{ISBN|978-0525475514}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Rajashekara |first1=Kaushik |last2=Wang |first2=Qingchun |last3=Matsuse |first3=Kouki |title=Flying Cars: Challenges and Propulsion Strategies |journal=IEEE Electrification Magazine |date=2016 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=46–57 |doi=10.1109/MELE.2015.2509901}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Kasliwal |first1=Akshat |last2=Furbush |first2=Noah J. |last3=Gawron |first3=James H. |last4=McBride |first4=James R. |last5=Wallington |first5=Timothy J. |last6=De Kleine |first6=Robert D. |last7=Kim |first7=Hyung Chul |last8=Keoleian |first8=Gregory A. |title=Role of flying cars in sustainable mobility |journal=[[Nature Communications]] |date=2019 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=1555 |doi=10.1038/s41467-019-09426-0 |doi-access=free|pmid=30967534 |pmc=6456499 |bibcode=2019NatCo..10.1555K }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Flying automobiles}}
* [http://www.roadabletimes.com/ ''Roadable Times''], pictures and descriptions of over 70 designs of flying cars and roadable aircraft past and present.
* [http://www.howstuffworks.com/flying-car.htm How Flying Cars Will Work] at [[HowStuffWorks]].

{{Flying cars}}
{{Emerging technologies|transport=yes}}
{{Automobile configuration}}
{{fictional transportation navbox}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flying Car (Aircraft)}}
[[Category:Roadable aircraft|*]]