
我们要惊叹于这辆车的顶尖创意,来自于MIT的Carl Dietrich和同一个实验室航天技术的专家组成的团队,倾力打造成了这辆颠覆思维的飞车,取名:Terrafugia。
虽然还不是最终的版本,但是我们已经可以看到它是辆双座的汽车,拥有100-500英里的速度范围,一个独立的无铅汽油储备箱,同时配置有电子计算机,用来在空中飞行时配合调整平衡性,安全气囊,空气动力学缓冲器,以及GPS卫星导航系统,整个Flying-car计划在2008年底或者早些时候推出可操作版,量产版估计得到2009-2010年,点进来看更多图片。
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1. 本人认为,该车的设计并非很前卫,没有摆脱传统飞机机翼的束缚。如果考虑机翼,必须需要一定宽度的道路起跑,在现在的道路上是不切实际的,如果在拥挤的公路上起飞,必须考虑宽度,对路面的影响,对交通的影响。实际上,它是一个可折叠机翼的飞机的汽车形态。我觉得这种带机翼汽车对路面要求较高,即使有人买,它也很难推广。我自己已经见过“Moller Skycar M400”我觉得那才是飞车的理想形态,也是未来交通分层管理的体现。
The Moller M400X Skycar® Prototype
Own the one and only prototype of the Moller M400 Skycar®. This test vehicle has flown repeatedly and demonstrated its hover capabilities in over a dozen flights at the Moller International facilities in Davis, California.
This M400 Skycar prototype first flew successfully in an early 2002 test flight followed by a press flight on August 26, 2002. It is the first and only M400 Skycar prototype and is being offered in its “as flown at the press flight” condition with all systems intact including command software, double redundant stability system, fly-by-wire controls and eight unique Rotapower engines.
The Skycar® prototype is a milestone in the development of vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The culmination of over 35 years of aeronautical engineering, the prototype M400 is the latest in a long line of vehicles designed and built under the direction of Paul S. Moller, President of Moller International. Ground and flight tests with this vehicle started in September 2001 and have continued to present. It is suitable for test and evaluation only and is not certified for use by the Federal Aviation Authority nor as a licensed road vehicle.
The prototype M400 Skycar®, is powered by eight air-cooled Rotapower® rotary engines; two in each of the four nacelles. Each nacelle contains two engines and two independently rotating fans and is capable of generating approximately 500 pounds of vertical thrust. The nacelles rotate 45 degrees and have thrust deflection vanes that provide for an additional 45-degree change in direction of the airflow to produce the 90-degree (vertical) thrust required for takeoff and hovering. Both the nacelles and deflection vanes are intended to operate in the horizontal position while at cruise speeds.
Stabilization for the aircraft is provided by an onboard digital computer system. The system is composed of two identical computers, providing redundant control over primary systems. Designated systems “A” and “B”, the digital computers process inputs from the onboard gyroscopes (2), accelerometers and rate sensors to determine the attitude of the aircraft and provide commands to each of the eight engines to correct for un-commanded changes caused by turbulence. The current M400 prototype’s system is the third generation of the computerized stabilization system, and is based upon systems used in the M200X (analog) and Aerobot® (digital).
The M400 prototype is currently being tested using methanol fuel, but can also be operated on 87-octane gasoline. The vehicle is currently equipped with two fuel tanks. Recent hover flights have used fuel provided by a small (8 gallon) pressurized tank to minimize the onboard fire hazard. This auxiliary system is designed to use methanol. The original fuel tank is in place and designed for use with gasoline. The engines are currently outfitted with high-flow fuel injectors suitable for use with methanol.
The onboard computer systems provide instructions to the engines via a “fly-by-wire” system designed exclusively for this one-of-a-kind aircraft. Feedback from the onboard systems is provided to the command consoles and provides detailed diagnostic and real-time flight condition information to the ground crew. Although the Skycar® prototype was designed for an onboard pilot and is equipped with cockpit-mounted controls, it has been flown only unmanned using the remote controls. Two command consoles and a third system used to remotely set Engine Computer Units (ECU) parameters are included in the sale of the prototype M400.
For more detailed information about the Skycar and Moller International, please visit www.moller.com.
If you can't afford this version of the M400, you will find souvenir models at www.moller.com/sales.
See the Manufacturers Website for information about the company and other skycar designs like the M150 Skycar.
M150 Skycar
The Moller M150 Skycar was designed for single person VTOL. The picture shows a prototype of the M150 that was displayed at a motorshow in Essen, Germany.
M150 SKYCAR SPECIFICATIONS
S.I. U.S. AVIATION
Passengers 1 1 1
Maximum Speed 604 km/hr 375 mph 326 knots
Cruise Speed 539 km/hr 335 mph 291 knots
Gross Weight 386 kg 850 lbs 850 lbs
Empty Weight 254 kg 560 lbs 560 lbs
Max. Mileage
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 19 km/l
13 km/l 45 mpg
30 mpg 39 Nmi/gal
26 Nmi/gal
Range
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 1,086 km
725 km 675 mi
450 mi 587 Nmi
391 Nmi
Take-Off Distance 0 m 0 ft (VTOL)
Landing Distance 0 m 0 ft (VTOL)
Dimensions
(LxWxH) 3.7m, 2.4m, 1.5m 12'x 8'x 5' 12'x 8'x 5'
Posted at 2:29PM on May 18th 2006 by 山野村夫