Hovercar

A hovercar is a fictional transport vehicle appearing in works of science fiction. It is used for personal transportation in the same way a modern automobile is employed.

It is incapable of flying but does elevate itself some distance from the ground through some unspecified repulsion technology, presumably exploiting some short range anti-gravity principle. The capability of hovering above the ground eliminates the need for tires and avoiding, for example, rocks that might make the car unstable and flip over. Unlike an air cushion vehicle this does not produce a dust cloud.

The closest real-world device is the hovercraft, which elevates itself above a water or level hard surface using a cushion of air retained by a flexible skirt. Such devices are not considered to be hovercars, however — that term is used only for the fictional device. Examples of hovercars can be found in many science fiction movies such as Star Wars and Star Trek, and some futuristic videogames, most notably the F-Zero series.

Examples from science fiction

An aircraft that can replace the automobile is still an object of fantasy and speculation. Such a flying car would have to be very easy to fly safely and be able to operate from driveways and parking lots with little or no special preparation. The flying car persists as a common science fiction theme.

• The novels of Philip K. Dick, such as Blade Runner, feature VTOL flying cars, in the form "spinners".

• Flying cars and other wingless floating vehicles are common in many science fiction movies and series that depict a technologically advanced future, including The Fifth Element, Minority Report, and The Matrix.

• One of the most iconic flying cars is the De Lorean from the film Back to the Future Part II, which underwent "hover conversion" while time-traveling in the future. In the film, "hover-converted" cars have become popular by the year 2015. In the Back to the Future films, the hovercars are capable of sustained flight. The Back to the Future series also features a "hoverboard", which resembles a skateboard in the same way that a hovercar resembles an automobile, and a steam locomotive which also undergoes a hover conversion.

• The Star Wars series contains several variations on the hovercar, including the landspeeder and the speeder bike, which is a hover version of a motorcycle. Hover vehicles in the Star Wars universe levitate due to "repulsorlift" technology.

• Matthew Reilly's Hover Car Racer features hovercars which use electromagnetic devices to hover.

• The Neutrinos in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series also use flying cars.

Sitemap

Links to other great sites.