Thread: United Airlines buying electric flying taxis.

Originally Posted by standardparts

Highly doubt any human is going to be riding in it until the FAA cuts lose with proper approval.

"Multi Mission UAS UAV"....plop that down with "battery powered" and you hit all the nifty trendy buzz words in an attempt to get funding and some municipality to give you tax breaks.

They missed the mark...should have had a ground crew with mixed gender and race. That's really-really a big selling point right now. REALLY BIG at UAL and McDonalds.

Yes, if you read closly, it's got a turbine engine up top.

However, I think changing from a standard chinook driveline (which is what this is)
to a turbine running a alternator, and then onto electric drive, like the drones,
would simplify things greatly.
Although, defining reliability would be quite a tough job.

Originally Posted by digger doug

Yes, if you read closly, it's got a turbine engine up top.

However, I think changing from a standard chinook driveline (which is what this is)
to a turbine running a alternator, and then onto electric drive, like the drones,
would simplify things greatly.
Although, defining reliability would be quite a tough job.

However it all shakes out hopefully some tech and manufacturing jobs will result.

With the concept of self-driving autonomous vehicles, how long will it be before a country song is written about a cowboy whose truck has left him?

Originally Posted by digger doug

Yes, if you read closly, it's got a turbine engine up top.

However, I think changing from a standard chinook driveline (which is what this is)
to a turbine running a alternator, and then onto electric drive, like the drones,
would simplify things greatly.
Although, defining reliability would be quite a tough job.

Astro has a Med-evac drone in the works- announced March 2020.
It is configured more along lines of multiple prop drone.

Originally Posted by EmanuelGoldstein

How would people play with their dicks if we did things based on common sense ?

Easy one. Dunno why you even asked?

Read your posts ... and not even get brush burns from rough hands.

Originally Posted by sealark37

With the concept of self-driving autonomous vehicles, how long will it be before a country song is written about a cowboy whose truck has left him?

There's already one about marrying his truck....

Originally Posted by sealark37

With the concept of self-driving autonomous vehicles, how long will it be before a country song is written about a cowboy whose truck has left him?

Hope his dawg wasn't in the back.

Originally Posted by moonlight machine

They need to concentrate on not having their engines fly apart.

That's an excellent point. Off the record, does anyone have any idea what would have happened to that Hawaii-bound 777 if that engine had exploded halfway to Hawaii? Sure glad it happened right at takeoff.

I suspect it will be an expensive ride so economic success will require enough well-heeled passengers willing to pay enough to cover costs plus profit. Anything aircraft is heavily regulated, insured, etc. which makes this far more involved than just scaling up the small drones people fly remotely. Technical aspects no surprise, been expecting it for some time now. The business aspects are a whole other matter.

It will be interesting to se how this goes.

Originally Posted by Newman109

That's an excellent point. Off the record, does anyone have any idea what would have happened to that Hawaii-bound 777 if that engine had exploded halfway to Hawaii? Sure glad it happened right at takeoff.

It would have continued on without issue if it had been past the halfway point. The 777 is designed to be able to fly its full flight regime on a single engine.

Originally Posted by digger doug

Would you ride in this ?
It's been tested.
Note how the blades fold, and pix of unconscious passenger

DP-14 Multi Mission UAS - DPI UAV Systems

Might be a boon to paramedics everywhere.

But would YOU ride in it ?

The hillbillies in my neighborhood would probably shoot these out of the sky.

Originally Posted by Shawnrs

The hillbillies in my neighborhood would probably shoot these out of the sky.

Going out on a limb here....shooting at anything with a "N" number is a federal offense.

Originally Posted by jaguar36

It would have continued on without issue if it had been past the halfway point. The 777 is designed to be able to fly its full flight regime on a single engine.

Even after it sets a wing full of fuel lines and JP afire?

Get real! Those tests are for a simple outage. Not a flying blast furnace!

Originally Posted by Shawnrs

The hillbillies in my neighborhood would probably shoot these out of the sky.

A "hillbilly" implies a HILL. If lil' ole' West Virginia were ever stretched out as FLAT as Illinois? It would be the size of Texas.

You don't have hillbillies. You just have ordinary fools. Not ALL of them even in Shitcargo/Crook County.

Just mostly.

Originally Posted by thermite

Even after it sets a wing full of fuel lines and JP afire?

Get real! Those tests are for a simple outage. Not a flying blast furnace!

Looks like the fire burned for a while, one of the first things they would have done from the memory drill would be to pull the fire handle. Also since it happened about 8000' agl the flaps would have been up and they'd be at 250k, video shows the slats out so they must have slowed up immediately, mighta saved them. Either that or the video is on approach and the fire burned a very long time, unlikely tho as they surely would have turned in for one of the north runways.

Lucky the engine didn't separate completely opening up the wing and/or the flames didn't penetrate it.

Originally Posted by jaguar36

It would have continued on without issue if it had been past the halfway point. The 777 is designed to be able to fly its full flight regime on a single engine.

Well sure. That assumes that the fire would not continue and ultimately burn a hole into the wing tank.

Quick google search shows me that the Archer Aviation "air taxi" is currently just a "concept", they have not built one yet, and in all the PR fluff its either a 2 or 4 seater, and I don't see any pilot controls. For now I'm calling it another "pie in the sky".

Originally Posted by dalmatiangirl61

Quick google search shows me that the Archer Aviation "air taxi" is currently just a "concept", they have not built one yet, and in all the PR fluff its either a 2 or 4 seater, and I don't see any pilot controls. For now I'm calling it another "pie in the sky".

Yeah, it's definitely not something you can ride in today but for short hops there is no reason a scaled up drone couldn't fly a couple of passengers. If and when it's built, tested and approved I suspect it will be remote controlled from the ground with some autonomous features as a backup. Flying from one point to another on a fixed route is actually less of an issue than driving on busy streets is for an SDV.

Originally Posted by thermite

"Acceptance" comes only when the paying customer AKA "general public" becomes convinced that steady improvement of systems designed and built by mankind have surpassed the trustworthiness of humans themselves - steadily degraded, largely off volunteering to GOAL towards becoming progressively less-competent, over time.

As is the case, and all-too-obviously so. Read the funny papers and weep.

So far, however, damned few politicians are Air Transport rated "heavy" pilots.

Or even licensed wheelbarrow, snow-shovel, or toilet-brush operators.

Thank God, in her infinite mercy...

I do understand there is a difference...but....
Acceptance isnt always needed. Case in point....self checkout. MANY ppl dislike it (yes i know many like it too). But it has been forced upon the public by limiting or making other options less convenient.
My guess is that is the model we will see more of....

Since I am bitching.....
I dont want a car wash...
I dont want a receipt...
I am not using your rewards card...
I dont want you to print me a coupon...

Its -30 F....I want to put f>>>ing gas in my car and go.
When is one gas station gonna come up with the "I ONLY WANT GAS" button on their pumps. I would go there every time.

Originally Posted by Scottl

Yeah, it's definitely not something you can ride in today but for short hops there is no reason a scaled up drone couldn't fly a couple of passengers. If and when it's built, tested and approved I suspect it will be remote controlled from the ground with some autonomous features as a backup. Flying from one point to another on a fixed route is actually less of an issue than driving on busy streets is for an SDV.

I'm pretty sure someone could write a book on the concept planes in the past 50 years, few have come to fruition, and I'm still waiting on my jet pack