Terrafugia's flying car model has been approved for tests in US airspace

Re:Terrafugia's flying car model has been approved for tests... by dogma1138 on Monday December 21, 2015 @10:14AM (#10771407)

It's a 1 to 10 scaled model basically a custom themed drone. It will be using batteries rather than the proposed final powerplant and will be most likely crafted out of different materials.

Size doesn't scale, even if the thrust to weight ration will be similar there would be probably 1000 of other differences that will not translate in any meaningful manner to a final full sized model.

Also why do they need permission at all? this is a drone flown in closed private airspace. This is pretty much stretching it as far as veil press releases go.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Terrafugia's flying car model has been approved for tests... by matheweis on Monday December 21, 2015 @01:02PM (#10772366)

> Also why do they need permission at all?

Because in the last few years as the FAA has gone on their power trip to gain control of small unmanned aircraft, they have deemed any and all commercial activity involving model aircraft illegal unless there is an exception in place.

> this is a drone flown in closed private airspace.

According to the FAA, there is no such thing as "closed private airspace" unless you are flying indoors or at least some kind of enclosure.

[ Parent | on HN ]