Commuting by Flying Car (Easton: 2013, home, costs)

[PacoMartin]

Terrafugia is building flying cars. The immediate ones will require an airport, the planned vertical take off and landing cars will require a one acre field.

Do you think there will be a business where small airfiels like Braden Airpark north of Easton will be able to serve commuters who fly to Teterboro outside of NYC (about 70 miles) to drive to work. Obviously the clients would be wealthy people looking to build large estates in PA where costs are cheaper than in NJ.

[Gettingouttahere]

Until the cars can deposit you at your building, I doubt it.

Flying to Teterboro gets rid of very little of the traffic slowdowns into the city. Most of the gridlock is east of Teterboro.

[blazerj]

Yes or they can get a landing spot in manhattan. Otherwise it's not likely to be used for commuting, but more of a novelty.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Gettingouttahere

Until the cars can deposit you at your building, I doubt it.

Flying to Teterboro gets rid of very little of the traffic slowdowns into the city. Most of the gridlock is east of Teterboro.

The Transition® is street-legal airplane that converts between flying and driving modes in under a minute. But as it takes off like a Cessna, I can't see the huge advantage over having a Cessna and just driving to the airport. I suppose you might save some money by keeping it in your garage instead of a hanger.

Like you, I can't really imagine commuting to an airport would be particularly helpful.
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But the TF-Xâ„¢ is a vertical take off and landing which would require a circle of roughly 100' diameter (less than half an acre) to land. It will never take off if you are stuck in traffic.

It is envisioned as an all electric vehicle with 1 megawatt of power (=1341 horsepower). It will probably have a range of 500 mph, but I doubt that it will go faster than 130 mph, so it will be more practical for flights of 200 miles or less. Air traffic control will probably develop new rules if there are enough of these.

But you won't be able to land one on a helo pad in Manhattan. More likely it would be some corporate park that can have a landing circle.

A Cessna Skycather that starts at $149,900 is specified at:
2 people (481 lb payload)
range 440 nm (=506 miles)
speed 113 ktas (130 mph)
takeoff distance = 1,138 ft (less than 1/4 mile)

[Gettingouttahere]

Maybe if you set up arresting wires on a helo pad, like they have on aircraft carriers. A tailhook-equipped Cessna can come in at full speed, catch the wire and badabing, lands on a dime. If it doesn't catch the wire, just go 'round and try again.

[PacoMartin]

Image available at Gizmag

This personal helicopter is planned at about $200K. It will fly at 100 mph, but it won't require tailhooks.

The economics could work, if you were planning on spending $2 million in Saucon Valley, and the equivalent home might cost $3-$4 million in New Jersey.

I am thinking of a Michael Andretti type of house, or something tasteful.