thumb|Spinner from [[Blade Runner 2049 on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles]]

Spinner is the generic term for the fictional flying cars used in the film Blade Runner. A spinner can be driven as a ground-based vehicle, take off vertically, hover, and cruise using jet propulsion much like the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft currently in use today. They are used extensively by the police to patrol and survey the population, and it is clear that despite restrictions wealthy people can acquire spinner licenses. The vehicle was conceived and designed by Syd Mead and has been "replicated" in subsequent films such as Back to the Future Part II, The Fifth Element, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. These films have the popular vision of flying cars, and people use spinners like traditional cars; in Blade Runner, the flying cars substitute for helicopters and very light jets.

Designer Mead has described the spinner as an aerodyne – a vehicle which directs air downward to create lift, though press kits for the film stated that the spinner was propelled by three engines: "conventional internal combustion, jet and anti-gravity".

A spinner is currently on permanent exhibit at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, WA.

List of appearances

In-universe

  • Blade Runner (1982) – Spinners are seen prominently in Blade Runner. Deckard and Gaff are seen riding in police spinners, and other various spinners driven by the "general" public, Very Important Person public are seen flying through the city.
  • Trancers (1985) – The sedan used by Deckard can be seen in a repair shop.
  • Solar Crisis (1990) – A repainted police spinner is used.

Cameos and out-of-universe appearances

thumb|right|Police package spinner prop car on display outside [[Disney-MGM Studios.]]

  • A spinner and the sedan used by Deckard appear in the music video for the Earth, Wind & Fire song "Magnetic".
  • The video game Snatcher, itself influenced by Blade Runner, features "turbocycles" that are similar to spinners.
  • The film Back to the Future Part II paid homage to the spinner from Blade Runner in that a garishly repainted spinner can be seen parked on a street.

References

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  • Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame Blade Runner Flying Spinner Car on permanent exhibit.
  • BladeZone interview with Gene Winfield, builder of the full-sized spinners
  • BRmovie.com – Spinner collectibles
  • TheForce.net – 3D Spinner model
  • MattWalsh.com – Spinner blueprint
  • RoadableTimes.com – History of flying cars
  • PropSummit – An online community featuring discussion of the props from Blade Runner
  • skychaser.se – A real Blade Runner Style roadable flying car being developed in Sweden
  • medium.com – The Spinner in Blade Runner 2049 – A niche analysis of the on-board systems