Indian inventor's creation make flying car a reality?
By siliconindia   |   Monday, 14 February 2011, 16:06 IST   |    35 Comments
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Indian inventor's creation make flying car a reality?
Bangalore: It requires having a child like simplicity to fantasize and believe that there is something called as a flying car but in this era of innovation boom,it is being claimed to be turned into a reality by an Indian inventor. It is not just a solution to traffic problems which has gone disastrous in many cities; an airborne version of the converted hatchback seems like just a few steps away to be achieved. Another point to wonder is the car model chosen to create this extreme innovation. It is no Mercedes, Corolla, or any of those big cars, but, is just the oldest and most ordinary 800cc Maruti car. The car has rotor blades affixed to the roof with extended wheel arches that create a 'vacuum section.' It attracted a huge audience to witness this innovation at the Aero India 2011 air show in Bangalore. The proud inventor is A.K. Vishwanath who turned his dream into a reality by making use of India's first small car, which was built in the 1980s by Suzuki. Extremely hard-worked 16 years have been spent of the 52-year-old in making the 'flying Maruti' that claims to have a vertical lift-off and he has also tested a scale version tested in a wind tunnel. By now, 40 copyrights have been acquired by him although the other engineers are still working on the project. When questioned what inspired him to make the wonderful car, he just answered saying his inspiration came from many sources, including the flying ability of bees. The car is powered initially by an electrical generator, after which its engine pumps out so-called 'energy flows' which provide lift-off and cruising. The car was developed by Vishwanath's company, B'Lorean, which is also the name of his house in Bangalore and the winged DeLorean sports car of the 1980s. He says he has been approached by several firms willing to fund the development of the car although the car by now has not flown, but told reporters: 'Business talk can begin, but only once the necessary paperwork is out of the way.' Flying cars are not a new invention, with some having been tested even in the 1930s. More recent versions include the Terrafugia Transition, made by a company founded by U.S. university graduates, with a flying range of around 400 kilometres.

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