This blog post explores the emergence of flying cars and the principles of mechanical and aerospace engineering that make them possible. Furthermore, we will predict together how this technology will transform future transportation.
The New Revolution of Flying Cars Led by Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Throughout human history, the development of transportation has played a crucial role in changing the way we live. Initially, we relied on animal-powered carriages and carts for travel. However, after the Industrial Revolution began, the advent of automobiles using internal combustion engines completely changed our paradigm of mobility. This shift brought cities closer together and evolved the world into a more connected society. Yet, internal combustion engine vehicles still have limitations, and the need to address environmental issues and traffic congestion has become increasingly urgent.
Today’s common automobiles can travel hundreds of kilometers in a single day powered by internal combustion engines. Thanks to their convenience, cars are often called the ‘crown jewel of mechanical engineering,’ and we can easily access this innovative mode of transportation thanks to Ford’s mass-production assembly lines. However, the popularization of automobiles has brought several problems. As the number of cars increased, traffic congestion worsened, and roads often turned into parking lots, especially during rush hour or holidays. A prime example is the situation where highways become completely gridlocked during major holidays.
Furthermore, due to the nature of internal combustion engine technology, cars continue to burn fuel even when stationary, leading to unnecessary energy consumption and exacerbating environmental pollution. These problems often lead people to imagine, “Wouldn’t it be great if cars could fly?”
Have you seen ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’? After Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express, they ride a flying car to school. While this scene might seem like a fantasy detached from reality, the recently developed flying car ‘Terrafugia’ is making this imagination a reality.
The Flying Principle of Flying Cars
So how can a car that rolls on the ground fly in the sky like the Terrafugia? Flight can be explained by two main principles: Newton’s Third Law and Bernoulli’s Principle.
First, Newton’s Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Air flowing over the surface of an airplane wing at a constant speed generates an upward force that lifts the wing. This is similar to the phenomenon where pouring water onto a spoon causes the water to flow and push the spoon upward. The air flowing beneath the wing lifts the wing upward, causing the object to float in the air.
Next, Bernoulli’s principle explains the relationship between speed and pressure based on the law of conservation of energy. Since the air passing over the top of the wing moves faster than the air passing under it, the pressure under the wing is greater. This pressure difference creates the force pushing the wing upward—lift. These principles prove that flying cars are scientifically possible.
Terrafugia: The Flying Car of the Future
Terrafugia is the world’s first flying car, designed to drive on land and fly in the air. Its most innovative feature is its folding wings, which deploy in just 30 seconds. The vehicle is highly space-efficient, small enough to store in a personal garage, and completed its first successful test flight in 2012. Terrafugia can carry a payload of approximately 600kg and fly at a maximum speed of 222km/h. In comparison, a light aircraft typically carries about 115kg of cargo and flies at 100km/h. The Terrafugia excels in performance, particularly boasting lower operating costs than jet fuel by using unleaded fuel. Its flight range reaches up to 740 km, an impressive figure.
The Terrafugia is merely the first step in flying cars. In the future, as this flight technology advances, new forms of transportation combining cars and airplanes could become commonplace. For example, traveling the 400km from Seoul to Busan by car during holidays takes over 5 hours, but using the Terrafugia takes less than 2 hours at 222km/h. Since it travels in a straight line like an airplane, the actual distance traveled is even shorter.
The Role of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical and aerospace engineering plays a central role in developing these flying cars. During Terrafugia’s design process, factors like vehicle weight, wing efficiency, and flight stability all had to be considered. This is an extremely complex task, but it became possible thanks to advances in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Mechanical and aerospace engineering is the discipline that creatively solves engineering problems to create new machines. Like flying cars, our future transportation systems will likely stem from innovative ideas in aerospace engineering.
Future transportation systems will be far more innovative than we can imagine, and aerospace engineering will be at the heart of it. Even now, many scientists and engineers continue research to advance flying cars like Terrafugia, and the results will change the paradigm of future transportation.
