Flying Cars? A Prototype Has People Asking, How Close Are We?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Flying cars got a lot of buzz this past week, from the unveiling of a prototype craft to a summit on airborne ride sharing.
"This science fiction dream -- this idea of a personal aircraft that maybe one day we can use to commute to work -- it's getting a little bit real."
Incrementally, anyway, says Bloomberg's Brad Stone.
The 'Flyer' made by Kitty Hawk, a startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page is more of a jet ski-meets-human-sized drone than a car, it's designed to work over water.
"This is a single-person vehicle, said Stone. "It doesn't really conform to the dream that some people and some companies have -- that these could be flying autonomous taxis to take us to and from work. This looks a little bit more like a recreational vehicle."
Most 'flying cars' are based on VTOL or Vertical Take-Off and Landing, where no runway is needed.
An Airbus concept has a quadcopter that enables a passenger pod to detach from its road-bound undercarriage and take flight.
For the Kitty Hawk Flyer, no pilot's license is needed.
The company says government has OK'd it for flying in 'uncongested areas.'
It could be on sale by the end of the year, but there's no price tag yet.