A Flying Car - George Jetson Would Be Proud

In the fall of 1962 The Jetsons premiered on prime time television in the United States.

For those who remember the show, you may be surprised to learn that the show only

ran until the spring of 1963.

Of course it has run in syndication ever since and new episodes were created in 1985,

1986 and 1987 as part of the new program, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera.

Though no year was specified in the program as to when in time the Jetsons lived, many

think it was set in the year 2000.

In 1962, perhaps viewers thought that by the year 2000 it might be possible that one could live like the Jetsons, in a world with holograms, aliens

and highly developed robotic units that could assist in making everyday life much easier.

George Drove A Flying Car

Of course, the most futuristic element of the show was how George Jetson got to work.

George got to work each day by driving his own personal flying vehicle.

A contraption with a large glass windshield and roof that allowed viewers to see George and the whole family as they flew from one

location to another.

Well now it is 2015, and the idea of a flying personal vehicle is still not a reality, but

perhaps that reality is closer than most of us think.

A company called Terrafuga believes that it can have a flying car model available to the

public for sale perhaps as early as 2021.

They are calling it the TF-X and it will be a four seat flying car that can take off and land vertically, with the ability to reach speeds of

over 200 MPH.

It is powered by two 600 horsepower engines, which are connected to folding

propellers that extend off of each side of the vehicle.

There Is Flying Car Competition

The Terrafuga company also has some competition.

A competitors model called the GF7 uses an electric motor to propel the vehicle when it is on

the ground and a 3,500-pound thrust jet engine to allow it to reach speeds of up to 550 mph and a

maximum height of 38,000 feet.

There is also the PAL-V, which has a three wheel design combined with a more

conventional helicopter function and is able to reach speeds in excess of 100 mph when

airborne.

And finally, there is the Slovakian Aeromobile 2.

5, a flying vehicle that has already made successful test flights and which can also

reach speeds above 100 mph in flight.

As depicted in the Jetsons, a flying car was not able to become a reality by the year

2000, but we may soon be looking up in the sky and seeing our neighbors winging their

way to work just like George did.