Chrysler's Redemption: A Flying Car!

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by Nomen Nescio, Nov 1, 2003.

  1. Nomen Nescio

    Nomen Nescio Guest

    Chrysler's Redemption: A Flying Car!

    What better flagship of the Chrysler range than to design, build and MARKET
    a mass-produced, affordable automobile that doubles as an airplane? As
    this post develops, you will see it is a feasible project and without any
    doubt will place the Chrysler marque at the pinacle of the entire
    industrial complex pyramid.

    Just look at Chrysler's emblem before and after the pentagram: Flying
    Wings. Remember, Walter Chrysler established his manufacturing operation
    in the days when his arch-rival Ford was already building airplanes, namely
    the Ford Trimotor. There can be no doubt that Chrysler had in his mind the
    idea of his company developing a competetive product to Ford's;
    unfortunately, an idea sometimes outlives its creator, as in this case. But
    where Ford sought to make his mark on commercial aviation, I suggest
    Chrysler target the light plane industry.

    Have flying cars been made and flown before? Yes! Did they cost a lot to
    develop? No! Flying cars have been conceived as long as there have been
    cars and planes. They just have not been very successful, both as to their
    intended dual function and marketwise. They could not have been that costly
    to develop because the various projects were labors of love by individuals
    or small groups. All the money ever spent on flying cars in 100 years of
    dreaming cannot equal even 1% of Ford's $6,000,000,000 (!) budget for
    developing the Mondero/Contour/Mystique. Imagine all that money Ford spent
    to "reinvent" the lowly Terraplane. Why don't you stop a moment and read
    about an actual flying car:

    http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/private/aerocar/info/info.htm

    The fact that flying car prototypes were ever realized at all is a tribute
    to the efforts of their inventors. I believe they were not fully
    successful because of the limited resources applied in the face of the
    enormity of the project. All the developers were aviation people (with
    little money) trying to do a car; never have car people tried to do a
    plane. I think that is half the secret: Chrysler has to develp a
    consortium of experts in both fields of engineering to do it right. At the
    present time they have neither.

    Now you know a flying car is at least "doable", let's analyze the market
    and how Chrysler could bring such a machine to fruition. I estimate the
    world wide market is 10,000 units per year at $100,000 per copy, for a
    billion dollars a year gross sales. Not bad for a top of the line flagship
    - most auto company flagships never turn a profit. The customer base would
    be civil and military government bodies (police, administrative, armed
    forces) and the civilian aviation market now dominated by Cessna with a
    handful of smaller players. Think of a flying car as sort of an ultimate
    status symbol. You now think of the Cadillac Escalade or maybe a top of
    the line M-B, Jag, or exotic like a Ferrari as the ultimate roadbound
    status symbol, but that will change with the flying car. Who would want a
    Ferrari when 10x the machine (and status) can be bought for 1/3 the price?

    Just as few Cadillac Escalades get down and dirty, probably only one in
    three flying cars will get airborne beyond their initial dealer
    demonstration flights. Just owning one will be sooooo cool for the
    wealthy, rock stars and the like. So of the 10,000 sold per year, probably
    only half will actually be flown very much. No need to worry about crowded
    skys, all those folks want to do with their new toy is sit around the
    cocktail table and brag about how it can go up and down. As they enter the
    second-hand market, no doubt a higher percentage will be flown.

    There is money in this project. Chrysler will need to establish dealer
    centers in about 12 major U.S. cities and another 12 overseas. It is there
    where training and type certification will be done. The ratio of enrollees
    to actual customers will be about 3:1, because so many hopefuls will take
    the ground school-flight school course. The schools themselves will pay for
    themselves with a profit. Chrysler machines will be used for flight
    training. Machines will be sold only to FAA licensed pilots who have
    complete the Chrysler airschool course with type certification, formidable,
    but not exclusive. Just look at Harrison Ford who flies his personal Bell
    helicoptor.

    What kind of flying car are we talking about? Ever hear of the Segway?
    Read about the Segway before going any further:

    http://www.segway.com/

    This kind of technology makes the Chrysler flying car feasible. The flying
    car must be that, a car first that converts to flight with the ease of
    driving. Take for instance take-offs and landings in gusty crosswinds.
    Even with the proper skills and intense concentration, it is a
    nerve-wracking experience and one slip and you have a disaster on your
    hands. Segway technology will allow electronic augmentation to facilitate
    the most difficult conditions - you will literally be able to drive your
    car off or onto the runway with the ease of a point and shoot camera.
    Automatic systems utilitzing ground radar, GPS, and electronic gyros will
    facilitate ascents and descents and point-to-point navigation between
    airports. Once landed, the flying car will convert in seconds to a road
    car. Today's airplanes are useless beyond airports, that and the skill
    required to operate them are the greatest limiting factors which make the
    Chrylser flying car all the more practical. The Chrysler flying car should
    be safer than any conventional light plane with its user-friendly
    aerodynamic properties and augmentation systems. Ever hear of the
    Aircoupe? That early post war effort was billed as a plane you "drive".
    Was said to be stall-proof, spin proof, and could land crabbed (cockeyed)
    in a cross wind without the notorious ground loop. The Chrysler car-plane
    should do even better. It will still take training and practice, but even a
    minimally trained pilot should be much safer than would otherwise be the
    case in conventional planes. A favorable accident-incident record will be
    essential for long-term success of the Chrysler project. Product liability
    issues have plagued civil aviation for years, but reform has rectified some
    issues and relieved manufacturers of prohibitive insurance premiums in that
    line of insurance. Insurance for owners must also be available; Chrysler
    itself may be interested in forming an insurance company, for added
    business, just to insure its owners.

    I think the project can be done for about $1,000,000,000 in R & D to the
    first production run. That's 1000 times more than Molt Taylor spent on his
    Aerocar and six times less than Ford spent reinventing its wheels.
    Chrysler will farm out the R & D around the world to small groups in all
    the countries that will constitute its market. That's not only the
    economical way to do it but will stimulate those markets: Germany, Italy,
    France (yes), England (maybe), Russia, China, and a few others.
    Subassemblies can be made in those countries also. Final assembly must be
    done in Dearborn. This is going to be a Made in U.S.A. car-plane, via final
    assembly.

    Mass production techniques will be employed to keep the retail down to
    $100,000 with a $25,000 net profit to Chrysler on each one for about
    $250,000,000 gross profit per year. Service will be split, with the road
    car part at your friendly Chrysler dealer and the air car part at the 12
    regional centers. Servicing will be highly profitable as these flying cars
    will have to be inspected and certified annually.

    Configuration most likely will be modeled after the ConVairCar, Taylor
    Aerocar or Flying Pinto in that the craft will be fixed wing, rather than
    rotary wing (remotely possible). It will definitely not be propulsion
    lifted like a Moeller. A lot of study will needed to be done to decide the
    best way to drive and fly (trailerable wings? park wings at airport?
    foldable wings?) Sophistication and development will need to be at least
    one order of magnitude greater than the previous efforts.

    Chrysler will do well to buy up all the trademarks and patents in the
    field, especially those involving actual prototypes that flew. That way
    they will have a snazzy name for their product. Remember the Amana
    RadarRange? What a name.

    Put me in charge of D-C and you will be airborne in 5 years! Wouldn't you
    just love to look down (literally) on Fords, Chevys, and Toyotas while
    cruising along in an AirViper?
     
    Nomen Nescio, Nov 1, 2003
    #1
  2. Don't you know what happened to the Aerocar?

    Ford Motor Company has tried this twice. First in the 1950's and the
    FAA/Civil Aeronautics Administration shot it down due to it not being
    possible for the then air traffic control system to absorb all of the
    additional
    volume of air traffic. Second was in 1970 and they even got FAA approval
    for the _experimental_ device, the Aerocar, but FAA nixed approval
    for production volumes as they were shitting bricks imagining all of the
    crashes and accidents.

    The only merit I can see to the idea is that dumb morons will go out and
    immediately buy one, then fly it into the nearest powerline and kill
    themselves,
    thus ridding the rest of us of their idiocy.

    Ted
     
    Ted Mittelstaedt, Nov 3, 2003
    #2
  3. The only merit I can see to the idea is that dumb morons will go out and
    Hey Nomen, you going to go buy one?
     
    Richard Benner Jr, Nov 3, 2003
    #3
  4. Nomen Nescio

    Art Begun Guest

    Designing and manufacturing a car that flies would be pretty easy.
    Making one that lands is the hard part.
     
    Art Begun, Nov 4, 2003
    #4
  5. Nomen Nescio

    Joe Guest

    They say the hardest part about flying is the ground.
     
    Joe, Nov 4, 2003
    #5
  6. Dori Schmetterling, Nov 4, 2003
    #6
  7. Nomen Nescio

    Neil Guest

    I haven't read the story yet, but the current issue of Esquire
    magazine shows a prototype for a flying car. I think it's a VTOL.

    At least since the late 1950's, and probably before then, flying small
    planes or flying cars have intermittently been proposed as car
    alternatives. The thing that would scare me is that there are so many
    more things to worry about in a plane than there are in a car. At
    least when a drunk driver speeds through my neighborhood, I don't have
    to worry about him crashing into my roof.
     
    Neil, Nov 4, 2003
    #7
  8. Nomen Nescio

    Art Begun Guest

    Actually I remember an accident where the guy went off a high
    embankment and thru the air into someone's roof.
     
    Art Begun, Nov 4, 2003
    #8
  9. Nomen Nescio

    Bob Shuman Guest

    Take a look at this link:

    http://www.moller.com/skycar/

    My brother worked at Moller International near the University of California
    in Davis for a number of years while this prototype was under development.
    It appears as though little has changed since he left and this may never be
    completed in my lifetime, but the concept has captured many imaginations
    since it was unveiled a decade or more ago. (No more highway traffic
    congestion and imagine living far away from the congested cities and
    commuting 200 miles each way in about the same time most travel 20 miles by
    car ...

    Bob
     
    Bob Shuman, Nov 4, 2003
    #9
  10. Nomen Nescio

    Neil Guest

    I realize freakish stuff like that does happen occasionally. Someone
    once accidentally took my old corner too fast, hopped the curb, and
    crashed into my neighbor's doorstep, but at least he didn't hit from
    the air. We've had a few other car-attacks-house wrecks in my city
    too.

    (snip)
     
    Neil, Nov 4, 2003
    #10
  11. Nomen Nescio

    BREWERPAUL Guest

    Jeez-- they way people drive on solid ground, you want them FLYNG too!

    ******************************
    Got wood?
    Check out my exotic hardwood pennywhistles at fair
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    BREWERPAUL, Nov 5, 2003
    #11
  12. Nomen Nescio

    Neil Guest

    Exactly.

    (snip)
     
    Neil, Nov 5, 2003
    #12
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