This ain't rocketry as we know it, Jim, but hopefully touches on 
enough pertinent matters to be worthy of Arocket's hallowed ground. 
PICList is more eclectic and this is entirely appropriate for [EE] 
(everything engineering).

In my youth and earlier years I looked forward to the day when we 
would have Flash Gordon Rocket Ships, Dick Tracey / Napoleon Solo 
Communicators, Personal portable Computers (Xerox promised the 
Dynabook in 1973 and I now have numerous devices that exceed their 
wildest hopes)),  worldwide fully linked computer networks, and flying 
cars.
All but one of these have arrived, albeit not always as anticipated*, 
or are well under action (thanks John!).

BUT !!!

"Where are the flying cars?
They promised me flying cars !!!!"

Here's another wannabee contender - the PAL-V
Home page at

        http://www.pal-v.com/

BUT much better information and discussion at sparkdesign, who appear 
to be their conceptual / graphics designers. Performance claims appear 
enthusiastic.

        http://www.sparkdesign.nl/actueel/20041013palv/20041013press.html

The concept appears entirely feasible but it will never be a contender 
for the 'aircar for the masses' market.

Basically it's an integrated Carver style trike/motorcycle (leans into 
corners like all good cars should) and an autogyro. Weight is under 
600 kg, to meet regulatory requirements for the class of craft they 
are aiming at. Odds are they'd have as much difficulty getting US 
approval for road use as air use.

Looks like having more chance than some to actually make it BUT 
despite testimonials suggesting that real product exists there is 
nothing at all on the site to suggest this is true. (There's a quote 
attributed to Jeremy Clarkson but I suspect this may be about a Carver 
style motorcycle-car thingy and not a PAL-V. I'd say it was almost 
totally dream/vapour ware, but entirely capable of realisation with 
suitable funding. Whether it could ever be profitable is another 
matter.

The dream

        http://www.pal-v.com/

The US air certification category they quote seems suspect to me as it 
seems to cease to be appropriate as soon as / if it gets approved in 
any other jurisdiction.


        http://www.pal-v.com/index2.php?page=license

        http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air%5Fcert/airworthiness%5Fcertification/sp%5Fawcert/light%5Fsport/

The paragraph below mentions use of autogyros in the 1930's to carry 
mail to and from the rooftop of the Philadelphia postal centre. 
Interestingly, as of 2004 98 year old Johny Miller, the test pilot for 
the company who made these machines and the last man to fly an 
autogyro off the Philadelphia rooftop, was still alive and still 
flying . He owned and flew a Jenny JN-4 in 1923 at age 17, was a test 
pilot for Grumman Amphibian and an airline pilot of everything up to 
DC8's and 707's (The 747's of their day)..

If he's still at it now he'll be 100.

        ************* See page 7 of  ************
        Well worth reading in its own right.

        http://www.aeroclubpa.org/papilot/issues/AeroSummer04.pdf

______________________________________________


* I used to tell people that Dick Tracey communicators were not 
possible due to power and aerial considerations. Cell sites and LEO 
constellations fixed that.

________________

The autogiro is a rotary-winged aircraft with a freely rotating main 
rotor. Like helicopters, autogiros were capable of taking off and 
landing in shorter spaces than standard aircraft. The first successful 
autogiro flight was made by Juan de la Cierva in Madrid, Spain on June 
9, 1923. In the U.S., W. Wallace Kellett, founder and president of the 
Kellett Aircraft Corporation (1929), built the first autogiro used by 
the U.S. Postal Service. The craft carried the mail between the 
Camden, New Jersey airport and the roof of the Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania post office. The service speeded up mail delivery 
considerably, moving some local mail from overnight to same day 
service.

        http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/airmail/historicplanes/unusual/historicplanes_unusual_autogyros_long.html

Ironically, Cierva was killed in a fixed wing aircraft crash.





            Russell:: 

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