The flexible tire idea is from a Michelin tire called a Tweel, which I wrote about in 2005. In the referenced article, I compared it to the smartwheels from Neal Stephenson's 1992 novel Snowcrash.
I like the idea of turning them sideways and using them as a turbine for lift. It's a slightly less radical (but possibly workable) version of Doc's idea for a flying car from Back to the Future.
(There aren't any roads in Back to the Future)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 3/7/2019)
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Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI
'Stasis, cold sleep, hibernation, hypothermia, reduced metabolism, call it what you will - the logistics-medicine research teams had found a way to stack people like cordwood and use them when needed.'
Deflector Plasma Screen For Drones ala Star Wars
'If the enemy persists in attacking or even intensifies their power, the density of the plasma in space will suddenly increase, causing it to reflect most of the incoming energy like a mirror.'