When will cars fly? Microtek Newsletter – April 2021 I know the title sounds funny but it is a reality that we are inventing flying cars right now. The demand is there (in so- many-ways) and the technology is advancing to allow it to become a reality. As of March 20, 2021 – there were 14 prototypes of flying cars in development. We will discuss what is being developed now and where our flying-car future may evolve to. There are many billionaires with large funds to help develop the prototypes of this technology. When you combine the potential future profits and the “bragging” rights, you will understand that billions of dollars are being spent now with billions more to be spent in the near future. I would like to illustrate the different types of “flying” cars we have now. WHAT IS A FLYING CAR The definition of a flying car is a vehicle that can drive on the road and fly in the air. There are two main types of flying cars. You have models that follow the principals of an airplane and models that follow the principals of a helicopter/drone. The difference is defined in the following way. Airplanes need a runway to reach a certain speed before it can leave the ground. Helicopters/drones can go straight up into the air without needing to reach a certain speed first. Helicopters have one or two sets of exposed blades. Drones have two or more sets of enclosed blades. Enclosed blades are much safer on public vehicles and they are much more likely to be approved for use by non-professionals. Flying cars will be electric and computer-controlled. It is highly unlikely for that to vary. Too much danger and too much expense. Let’s get back to the definition of “flying car”, it must have the ability to drive on the road. That means the flying mechanisms have the ability to retract (if needed) to allow the vehicle to drive just like a car. Let’s take a look at what flying car prototypes are in development now. AEROMOBIL’S PROTOTYPE AeroMobil is based in Slovakia and remains committed to release a functioning flying car that has a special name “Super-car with Super- powers”. They are working on the fourth prototype which has been showing its functionality. That is not an easy goal but they are making great progress in a highly-competitive race. You will notice the rear end of this vehicle expands-out for flight and expands-in for driving. In time we will learn much more about this vehicle. TERRAFUGIA TF-X PROTOTYPE Founded in America, Terrafugia is working on two flying car projects. This model is the TF-X which has the ability to stow the wings/blades into the body of the vehicle to allow it to drive. The vehicle is all-electric with vertical takeoff and landing. The vehicle is computer-controlled and is targeted for the mass market. This model will be easy to use but may take a few more years of progress before it is ready. Their other vehicle is called the Transition which is functioning well and could be released soon. DELOREAN DR-7 PROTOTYPE The company made famous in “Back to the Future” is now in the aerospace market. This vehicle may not be able to drive on the road but it will turn heads. They have small prototypes that are performing up to expectations that pushed them to release a full-size prototype. I am very excited to the see the full-size prototype to learn more about how this vehicle works. It will be computer- controlled with simple operations. It will be expensive but will carry a very famous name. DeLorean Aerospace has Paul DeLorean at the helm. He is the nephew of John DeLorean that made his name famous back in 1985. When will cars fly? - Page 1 of 2 https://Microtek.Systems/ SKYDRIVE SD-XX PROTOTYPE The company named Skydrive is working with Toyota on the SD-XX. It is understood that they have a fully-functioning flying electric car. It is a two- seater that was developed with a computer-controlled system that makes operation very easy. They have announced this unit will start taking orders in 2023 and should be produced in 2026. That is a very impressive step to be ready for production so quickly. I look forward to seeing this vehicle in operation. Maybe I will get one. VRCO NEOXCRAFT PROTOTYPE A British company named VRCO is developing a flying car project that has a lot of promise. They expect their vehicle to traverse on land, air and water. The road testing was started in 2020 but there is no information on when they will start testing air and water. Many professionals in this industry are looking forward to seeing a working prototype for this vehicle. It is believed to be have great computer-based piloting as well as be very energy efficient. It will be a two-passenger vehicle that has the ability to use its ducted fans as wheels for driving. It may be a few years away but it may become a standard in this field. NEC (un-named vehicle) PROTOTYPE The Japanese company named NEC is working together with 80 companies in Japan to pioneer flying cars. The group of companies has taken the name Cartivator and has the goal of starting operations in 2023 with full integration by 2026. That may sound a little unreasonable but Japan has put an emphasis on leading the path to flying cars. NEC is not planning of being the manufacturer of flying cars but wants their technology integrated into its design. There is still a lot of missing information in the development of this prototype but I am very excited to see the outcome of this vehicle. THE FAA HAS CLEARED THE WORLD’S FIRST FLYING CAR On February 10 2021, the US Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) has awarded Terrafugia’s Transition “roadable aircraft” a special Light-Sport Aircraft air-worthiness certificate. That is a significant milestone for a flying vehicle. It will still need to meet safety standards from the FAA and the US National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for driving on public road ways. I am sure it won’t take long. Imagine how much money will be generated by this technological break-thru. Imagine how much changes will be made to our government, business and society as this technology becomes fully integrated into our daily lives. This might be the next big shift in our world. I want to close this article with a simple paragraph that has been around long before computers. In our lives, technology of all types will define how things are done. It will define how long it will take to complete and it will define how much training is needed to achieve the goal. The human race is making improvements on what we can do but we will continue to lose the ability to perform basic tasks that are completed by higher technology. We must find a way to learn how to use technology while we retain the ability of working without technology. When will cars fly? - Page 2 of 2 https://Microtek.Systems/ .