Something between a plane and a helicopter: What might a flying car look like soon? Science and technology 15 January 2025, 06:45

A real flying car would probably be a mix between a helicopter and an airplane. Planes need special runways, so it would be more practical for the car to take off vertically like a helicopter. The rotating blades will create lift, which will help lift the car off the ground. After takeoff, the car will be able to move like a normal airplane. The wings of the car will rotate outward from the body.

Another option is to attach propellers to the wings of a flying car. In this case, the wings will first bend upwards, and after the car takes off, it will move to a horizontal position, just like an airplane. This was theorized by aeronautical engineer Pat Anderson, former director of the Eagle Flight Research Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Vehicles with rotating wings and propellers do not resemble the flying cars of science fiction. In fact, they don’t even look like cars. Instead, they resemble military helicopters with wings, like in Avatar, or actual helicopters with wings, like the V-22 Osprey.

One of the biggest obstacles for those considering working with flying cars is cost. For example, the American company Alef Aeronautics plans to sell personal cars that can drive on roads and take to the skies. They look and work just like in the movies, but they come at a high price. They’re expected to cost about $300,000 each when they go into production this year.

For those living more modestly, flying car ridesharing service is the most likely option.

Flying Ubers could become commonplace within 10 or 20 years, predicts aeronautical engineer Pat Anderson, former director of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Research Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.