iCar flying vehicle

‘iCar’ is both car and aircraft

currently still in its concept and experimental phases, ‘iCar 101‘ is a single-seater hybrid motor vehicle and aircraft that adapts existent aeronautical technology to consumer needs. the car is compact enough to be driven on standard roads, while its large, stabilizing wheels and telescopic wings permit it to take off from motorways to fly for over 500 miles at 192mph.

full profile rendering of the vehicle

‘iCar’ is designed around the ‘magnus effect’, whereby an object spinning in fluid creates a whirlpool around itself, experiencing a force capable of generating lift. the phenomenon is the same one responsible for the spinning of balls in sports, from american football and baseball to table tennis and bowling.

a rear principal set of telescoping flettnor rotors are hidden within oversized wheels when ‘iCar’ is used as a vehicle. when it is used as an aircraft, these wings telescope outward, and the hubcaps of the front wheels swivel forward to become propellers. the amount of lift can be adjusted to the needs of the flying phase– for example, to maximize lift for takeoff, maximize aerodynamic efficiency for cruising, and increasing drag for descent– by varying the angular velocity of the wings’ cylinders, each of which can be controlled independently.

the biggest advantage of using spinning cylinder wings is size efficiency

rendering of two ‘iCars’ taking flight from the highway

composed of composite materials, ‘iCar’ is lighter than a standard car, and is designed with aeronautical principles in mind to remain fuel efficient.

because aerodynamic resistance decreases with altitude, the car’s creators note that flying the car at 192mph at 10,000 feet does not require any more power than driving at sea level at high speeds.

‘iCar’ is designed to cruise at about 10,000 feet

designed to accomodate the needs of its users while remaining road-legal and efficient enough to take off at relatively low speeds, ‘iCar’ is just over eight feet (2.5 metres) in width when used as a vehicle, extending to about 15 feet (4.5 metres) with its full wingspan), and is about 20 feet (6 metres) long.

a newer design model, the ‘iCar evolution’, is slightly smaller, with a rear foil that decreases drag and extends the surface area of the vehicle’s wings, increasing the generated lift.

initial rendering of the ‘iCar evolution’ design

the vehicle is powered by a gas turbine located in the rear wings. in driving mode, this engine feeds an electrical generator, through which the wheels are motorized. in flying mode, the engine continues to drive the electrical generator but also provides direct mechanical power to the wing’s propellers, whose movement is also partially driven by electrical engines to make it more responsive to piloting and modulations in power.

the hybrid vehicle permits direct passage across water, forests, mountains, buildings, or other zones that, driving, might normally require a substantial detour

‘iCar’ requires about 1640 feet (500 metres) of runway and a speed of 112mph (180km/hr) in order to take off. it cruises at 192mph (310 km/hr) and can remain airborne for 500 to 620 miles (800 to 1000km).

when ‘iCar’ is used as a road vehicle, its wings fold back into the body

video of 360° rotation of ‘iCar’, followed (at 0:37) by a rendering of takeoff

via dvice