Again, no... no external transmission. What little reduction gearing needed is in the motor.
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Electric Vehicles, Hybrids...Battery tech... Land Air and Sea. Let's See 'em.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Maybe you should change your avatar. This might work....
Only $92k to your doorstep.
I want one.
I want one.
False assumption much?
There's much to admire about Musk... and I do.
I just don't throw his name into every friggin comment I make on EV's.... fanboi
"UK-based Vertical Aerospace claims to have the top pre-order book in the industry, by value, adding up to 1,350 air taxis worth $5.4 billion. In addition to prestigious customers, such as American Airlines, the startup is also proud to have top-level partners, including Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. Leonardo, the newest one on the list, will be working together with the international company on the design, manufacturing, and testing of the VX4."
Link.
"With a maximum speed of 200 mph (321 kph), the VX4 could take passengers from Heathrow to London in just 12 minutes. Plus, the four-seat aircraft promises to be cost-effective, no more expensive than a conventional taxi.
With production for the first six certification aircraft ready to kick off in Italy, the VX4 is expected to begin test flights by the end of this year."
Link.
"With a maximum speed of 200 mph (321 kph), the VX4 could take passengers from Heathrow to London in just 12 minutes. Plus, the four-seat aircraft promises to be cost-effective, no more expensive than a conventional taxi.
With production for the first six certification aircraft ready to kick off in Italy, the VX4 is expected to begin test flights by the end of this year."
Well, in this particular case, it's flown by a licensed pilot... just like any other certified airplane or helicopter.
Sounds about right to me. Especially when you factor in about a 2-3 to 1 turnaround rate. Can't find any info on it, but if they go the route of swappable battery packs, that would be sustainable 24/7. 4 pax at a hundred bucks each, a 20 min turn time.... $1200/hr. gross. Sounds like there's a potential there.
I think it could happen just not on a large scale for any airport.
Couple of small problems. I have a hunch pilots make a few dollars more than taxi drivers.
Large busy airports only have so many take off and landing spots available. Airlines fight over them.
You also have to have gates, airlines also fight over them.
And last when it gets to downtown is there a place to land or do they supply parachutes?
It very well may be cost effective in the right places. Chicago used to have a small downtown airport. Someone took a bulldozer to it during the night. I think it was called Loves Field.
Couple of small problems. I have a hunch pilots make a few dollars more than taxi drivers.
Large busy airports only have so many take off and landing spots available. Airlines fight over them.
You also have to have gates, airlines also fight over them.
And last when it gets to downtown is there a place to land or do they supply parachutes?
It very well may be cost effective in the right places. Chicago used to have a small downtown airport. Someone took a bulldozer to it during the night. I think it was called Loves Field.
And airline pilots make more than bus drivers... yet we still have airlines.
This airplane is vertical takeoff and landing. Just like a helicopter, they'll not interfere with normal airline traffic.
The current fleet of helicopters don't need or use gates, so...
Helicopters land downtown. Far as I know, no parachutes involved.
These don't need airports. That's kinda the point.
I've spent a lot of time at major airports. Very seldom if ever have I seen a helicopter around any. As far as I know flying drones around airports is a no no. So I would think flight control would be involved with helicopter traffic.
If they are leaving from the airport they will have to have a gate. It will be a commercial flight not private.
You fly a lot in small planes when is the last time you landed at a major airport like O'Hara or LAX?
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@Jim don't get me wrong it could very well work out just a lot of things need to be worked out along with the planes.
Reminds me of Popular Science? many years ago with a pic of a flying car on the cover. The article said they would be very common and available to everyone. We are still waiting.
Reminds me of Popular Science? many years ago with a pic of a flying car on the cover. The article said they would be very common and available to everyone. We are still waiting.
First off, a helicopter ain't a drone, so...
When I worked at Kansas City International, helicopter flights into the FBO was about an hourly occurrence, so I don't know where you got the idea they weren't allowed...
Look up a company called Blade. They've been operating an air taxi from Manhattan to JFK for about 6 or 8 yrs now. Same with downtown Miami to Miami International. I'm sure there's others.
The Downtown airport here has three or four 757 charters fly in and out every week. People are bussed out to 'em. No gate involved.
Here's the scenario... people deplane (at a gate), collect their luggage at baggage claim and walk outside to curbside loading. Get on the bus (hail a taxi if you're really socially averse) and travel the short distance to the Vertipad (no, I didn't make that name up), climb on their EVTOL airplane (or helicopter) and enjoy the short 10-15 min ride to downtown... the one that used to take an hour.
It's not a new concept, it's been done... it's currently being done. The only difference here is we're trying to do it with electric aircraft that are quieter and (hopefully) more economical.
Never said they were not allowed. Just I never saw helicopters around the major airports I've been at.
KC is not considered one of the major airports.
I've been on a lot of flights where I was bused from a gate to the plane.
It may very well work out, to do it on a large scale will not be as simple as flipping a switch. There's a lot of logistics that will need to be worked out.
@Jim the concept could open up a lot of other possibilities. The airport in Rock Falls IL is a county airport. In the 60s it was serviced by Ozark airlines. Rock Falls is 2 hours from ORD I'm sure there would be people like me that would love to go and park there instead of driving to ORD.
It would be great to get air service back into some of the rural areas.
My uncle Ward lived in Miami in the 60s, worked for Eastern Airlines. Was the head of their weather department back then. When he would come home for visits he would fly into Rock Falls. He didn't think much of Ozark but didn't want anyone to have to drive to ORD because of him. Johnny Carson even made fun of Ozark.
Interesting note Ward was a Air Force meteorologist in WWII stationed in India. After the war he got a call from a guy named Rickenbacker and offered a position at Eastern. Ward worked for Eastern until he retired in 76. He enlisted in the Air Force at the beginning of WWII was discharged a officer in the Army. The Air Force wanted to promote him before his discharge but the officer position was full so they had him switch services so he could get the promotion.
It would be great to get air service back into some of the rural areas.
My uncle Ward lived in Miami in the 60s, worked for Eastern Airlines. Was the head of their weather department back then. When he would come home for visits he would fly into Rock Falls. He didn't think much of Ozark but didn't want anyone to have to drive to ORD because of him. Johnny Carson even made fun of Ozark.
Interesting note Ward was a Air Force meteorologist in WWII stationed in India. After the war he got a call from a guy named Rickenbacker and offered a position at Eastern. Ward worked for Eastern until he retired in 76. He enlisted in the Air Force at the beginning of WWII was discharged a officer in the Army. The Air Force wanted to promote him before his discharge but the officer position was full so they had him switch services so he could get the promotion.