(Ariel Schalit / AP) A team member is seen working on a model of the car in this AP file photo from 2007.
X-Hawk Eyed for Combat and Rescue Missions
Delicious Reddit

NOVEMBER 17, 2009
John Roach, MSNBC

Soldiers stuck in a burning building behind enemy lines or flood victims trapped on their rooftops watching waters rise could be the beneficiaries of the X-Hawk and Mule flying car concepts under development at Urban Aeronautics in Yavne, Israel.
The so-called vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles are powered by encased fans on the body and tail, giving them the ability to hover and maneuver in crowded environments without the risk of exposed rotor blades getting tangled with power lines or too close to people.
The van-sized vehicles can travel up to 155 miles per hour. Project designers envision the craft as a military workhorse and futuristic ambulance. A team member is seen working on a model of the car in this file photo from 2007.
© 2009 msnbc.com
Reproduced with permission of MSNBC, from The reality of flying cars: These six designs might soon help you soar over traffic jams by John Roach, November 2009; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
You can read this story in its original location at: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33676074