XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com   
      
   Greg Goss  wrote   
   > David Johnston  wrote   
      
   >> Driving much isn't necessary to be a "flying car".  Classic science   
   >> fiction flying cars only touch down to park because they ignore the   
   >> issue of how much power it takes to remain constantly hovering.   
      
   > Hovering is expensive.  But if you're going somewhere, so is flexing   
   > your tires continuously.  There's a reason why Greyhound is so   
   > expensive for long distances, and planes are ludicrously cheap.   
      
   That's because the planes hold a hell   
   of a lot more people than a bus does.   
      
   You don't get that result with the planes   
   that hold as few passengers as the bus does.   
      
   > It's the same reason why swallows and butterflies can "afford' the   
   > energy to migrate.  Once you're up, it gets cheap to cover distances.   
      
   That mangles the story too.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)