eVTOL and Flying Car Technology Simplified with a Tire-Propeller Hybrid
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.660Keywords:
eVTOL, flying car, transportation, aviationAbstract
New forms of air transportation are being explored as congestion on today's roads steadily increases. Of the new forms of air transportation being explored, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could be the future of sustainable transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Even though they are promising, many existing eVTOL architectures will likely struggle to be widely adopted due to the need for appropriate vertiports. This paper discusses flying cars and Flying Car Transportation Systems (FCTS), vehicles with driving and flying capability, as a subset of eVTOLs to let one efficiently travel from home, vertiport, and destination and vice versa without interruption. In particular, the novelty of a tire-propeller hybrid (TPH) is considered as a simplified propulsion system for both driving and flying that enables the widespread adoption of eVTOLs. A concept for one is proposed, and a simple feasibility analysis based on momentum theory is conducted.
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