What's the Big Idea? 3 Innovative Inventions

Creativity thrives as economy nosedives

The Transition

The economy may be able to bring down spending, prices, the stock market and hiring, but it hasn’t brought down these inventors.

Check out these quirky products coming out this year.

1. Flying car

Say what? Well, I suppose “flying car” is not as accurate as “drivable plane.” Carl Dietrich invented a small plane that has fold-up wings and is street legal.

Dietrich’s vehicle is called “The Transition.” He will begin selling it through his company Terrafugia, next year. The vehicle will fit in a regulation sized garage. It’s expected to retail for $194,000. I wonder if it will be easier or more difficult to get personal loans for flying vehicles versus regular ones.

2. Freight rocket

Jerry Larson was quick to hop on board when he hear about Spaceport America. When it’s built, Spaceport America will be like an airport for commercial space traffic. A spaceport. Larson “saw a potential profit in sending ’stuff’ on short trips into near space.” He believes it will be useful for things like corporate research and development and university research.

Larson has built a small rocket that is designed to carry cargo into space. Customers can split the cost of the cargo space, like a timeshare. Larson says that NASA currently does similar operations, but his costs a tiny fraction of what they charge. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "What's the Big Idea? 3 Innovative Inventions"