Dream Of Flying Cars

We’re constantly being sold the dream of flying cars, and usually when we hear “flying car” it’s then followed by a picture of something that looks either like a car jet that definitely couldn’t find parking in town, or a VTOL, which would face similar issues parking wise. Flying cars have been a dream dating back to 1841 when the patents for one were first made by Samuel Henson and John Stringfellow. To be honest there’s never been a time in human history we haven’t wanted flying carts of some variety or another.

Whether it be chariots pulled by the sun or Santa Claus with reindeer we are forever doomed to be enamoured with the idea of personal flight. and there’s no shortage of people willing to cash in on that dream. The latest is Alef Aeronautics which recently got a special airworthiness certificate from the US FAA for it’s Armada Model Zero. It’s an electric8 rotor VTOL which has managed to fit itself into the form factor of a regular car. Wheels and all. This is done with a porous carbon fibre layer that keeps the overall shape of a car but doesn’t inhibit air movement.

Suspended in the center is the gimballed cockpit bubble, and in the corners where you expect to find them, wheels. The body rotates 90 degrees so where you’d normally find the boot and engine block are positioned on either side of you as wings, for maximum speed. The goal is a driving range of 320 kilometres and a flying range of 170km. Just enough to fly over every set of traffic lights you can’t be bothered waiting for.