A number of "carplanes" have recently appeared on the market or will be appearing soon. The purpose of this site is to contrast and compare these vehicles and to provide the latest information on each. It is an unbiased site that is not funded by any of the manufacturers.
Edited by Jeffrey W. Buckholz, PhD, P.E., PTOE
Last 3 Updates:
1/20/14 Updated carplane ranking spreadsheet with new AT Black Knight Transformer; added links to Zee.Aero and Terrafugia TF-X carplanes, added UAV article
12/20/13 Updated carplane ranking spreadsheet with new Aeromobil, added pictures tab
10/20/13 Updated carplane ranking spreadsheet with new Parajet information
WHAT'S NEW:
My latest paper entitled KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF A WINNING CARPLANE was presented at the 17th International Road Federation World Meeting in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia this November.
WHERE IS AVIATION HEADED?
Consider this article excerpt from the February 2013 issue of Sport Aviation Magazine: "Avionics has already solved navigation, collision avidance, and even synthetic or enhanced vision issues. Autopilots are available for all sizes and types of airplanes and the latest weather data is directed into the cockpit. What's left for electronics to do? Stability and control are where electronic innovation is headed now in aviation. The next step for electronics is to fly the airplane, or to at least keep human pilots from screwing up.
A December 2013 article in GizMag online magazine reports that General Atomics Aeronautical System, Inc. has successfully completed test flights for a UAV that can detect other airplanes, including those without transponders such as gliders. Once perfected and accepted by the FAA, this technology could open up the entire US Airspace system to UAV's.
An August 2013 article in Aviation Week reports the potential for pilotless air taxis within 7 to 10 years and pilotless cargo planes within 3 to 5 years. UAV specialist Aurora Flight Services is experimenting with a Diamond DA42 optionally piloted aircraft it calls the Centaur. At first the aircraft will be used to eliminate one of the two required pilots and eventually it will be used for completely pilotless operations.
A September 2013 CNN article discusses automated control of a BAE System's 146 aircraft in England as part of the company's $94 million ASTRAEA program. The project has brought together a consortium of six companies: BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Thales, Rolls Royce, Cobham and AOS.
Carplanes will really become popular when you don't need a pilot's license to fly one, and that will happen when the carplane can fly itself. That ability is not as futuristic as it sounds. A 12/11/12 article by Peter Murray in Singularity Hub describes the first test flight in San Jose, California of a fully automated RASCAL (no pilot) Blackhawk helicopter. The article adds that 30% of US military aircraft are drones and that the Navy's X-47B robotic fighter is "well on course" to become the first autonomous air vehicle to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. 10/1/13 UPDATE: According to a September 2013 article in gizmodo.com, Boeing and Carnegie Melon University (along with Piasecki Aircraft) are in on this game now. Their "Little Bird" helicopter is an autonomous vehicle that can pick out a safe landing site even in complicated terrain. In addition, the April 2013 edition of Aviation International News reported that Eurocopter has performed a demonstration flight with an "optionally piloted vehicle" version of their EC 145 light twin helicopte using a four-axis autopilot and an advanced navigation system.
Carplanes will really become popular when you don't need a pilot's license to fly one, and that will happen when the carplane can fly itself. That ability is not as futuristic as it sounds. On March 22, 2012 a Stemme S15 Motorglider completed a totally autonomously landing over in Germany. This vehicle also has the ability to take-off autonomously. Sounds like the technology for automated flight is on our doorstep. The people at Terrfugia recognize the opportunity: "The evolution in the Transition is going to come in the capability of the electronics and autopilot," said Cliff Allen, vice president of sales at Terrafugia and a trained flight instructor. "Everybody has heard of the Google [driverless] car. The technology is there to make an airplane that can virtually fly itself." (InnovationNewsDaily) In addition, a recent article in Defense News indicates that the US Air Force's Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) is being designed to fly "with or without a pilot."
On Tuesday, May 8, 2012 it was announced that Hobbs and Lea counties in New Mexico would house a new $1 billion research center. The Center for Innovation, Technology and Testing (CITE) will be a scientific ghost town developed to allow researchers to test everything from intelligent traffic systems and next-generation wireless networks to highways with driverless trucks. Might be a nice place for some automated carplane testing as well.