Friday, January 28, 2011

iCar has discovered the secret of flight: It’s the wheels

via Coolest Gadgets



This one, which is called the iCar, doesn’t need any wings or magic to fly but makes use of specially designed wheels. Apparently round spinning surfaces can generate lift, which is called the Magnus Effect.

The iCar takes advantage of the Magnus Effect to turn its wheels in to wings. On the ground, the iCar is a one seater sports car with three traditional wheels & giant cylindrical hubs. To get airborne, it extends its hubs outward to generate a bigger lifting surface, the hubcaps on the two front wheels swivel forward to turn in to propellers, & the car is prepared for takeoff. As it starts to move forward, the cylinder wings spin (driven by electric motors), & they generate  lift to get the iCar airborne in about 1,500 feet.Apparently, the car has a range of about 500 miles & has a cruising speed of 200 miles per hour.

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