Burt Rutan designs hybrid flying car

Filed under: Concept Cars, Specialty



There have been a lot of tries at making a functional flying car over the years, but things haven't really gotten off the ground yet, considering we aren't all bopping from place to place like George Jetson. Burt Rutan from Scaled Composites has taken a new stab at a workable flying car with the Rutan Designs Model 367 "Bipod."

It's a bi-pod airplane with a 31-foot wingspan when you want it to be, and a seven-foot-wide, deliciously odd grocery getter when you don't. There's a lot that's novel about the design, including its Chevrolet Volt-like gasoline generator powering electric motors that makes up its propulsion system.

Rutan also addressed the problem of unifying car and airplane controls by putting each set of controls in a separate pod. On the right, you have a yoke for when you're airborne. On the left, the controls for travel on terra firma.

The Model 367 cruises at 100 miles per hour, and has an estimated range of 760 miles. Push it, and you can hit 200, but that knocks your range down to just 530 miles. For what it's worth, Rutan says this will be his last project before his previously announced retirement goes into effect. See the complete press release after the break.Continue reading Burt Rutan designs hybrid flying car

Burt Rutan designs hybrid flying car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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