A PAL-V flying car is pictured during a press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA), on September 6, 2021 in Munich, southern Germany. The AirCar has stolen its thunder, though, after it earned a Certificate of Airworthiness from the Slovak Transport Authority.
(Photo : TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Flying cars moved one step closer to becoming a reality after hybrid car-aircraft AirCar was issued a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority. The convertible flying car can reach altitudes around 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) and hit speeds of over 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour) on the ground.
AirCar is powered by a 1.6-liter BMW engine and runs on fuel sold at any gas station. The hybrid vehicle takes just two minutes and 15 seconds to transform from a car into an aircraft. According to Klein Vision, the company behind the dual-mode vehicle, AirCar managed to earn the all-important certification after recording 70 hours of flight testing and more than 200 take-offs and landings in Slovakia.
The test flights, which the company described as rigorous, were compatible with the standards set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The developers of the car-aircraft released a statement on Monday, January 24, following AirCar's historic achievement, saying, "The challenging flight tests included the full range of flight and performance maneuvers and demonstrated an astonishing static and dynamic stability in the aircraft mode."
AirCar certification opens door for mass production of flying cars
Professor Stefan Klein hailed the latest achievement of his prized creation, saying, "AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars. It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever."
Flying cars may soon become reality with the brand new AirCar. https://t.co/El7fwfLgD7 pic.twitter.com/Iqk0CYlsni
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 26, 2022
AirCar earned the certificate of airworthiness months after completing a 35-minute flight between the international airports of Nitra and Bratislava in Slovakia. According to BBC News, the company plans to fly the AirCar from Paris to London soon. With the AirCar passing its test flights with flying colors, Klein Vision hopes to have it commercially available within the next year.
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Will we see flying cars in the air soon?
It has been a remarkable journey for Klein Vision, which had a team of eight specialists spending at least 100,000 hours on this project even before the prototype's production. They converted design concepts into mathematical models, which eventually led to the AirCar's creation.
Dr. Steve Wright, the senior research fellow in avionics and aircraft systems at the University of the West of England, said that AirCar's feat was a good step down the road for Klein Vision. Wright says it makes him cautiously optimistic that he will see a few AirCars in the sky one day, but he thinks there is still a long way to go before that happens.
Like any other aircraft, a pilot license is required for the person flying the AirCar. According to Dr. Wright, this requirement makes the AirCar, from a transport view, a niche market at this stage. There is some competition for AirCar in the flying car market. The PAL-V Liberty, which flies like a gyrocopter, is road legal in the European continent. The three-wheeler is working towards European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification.
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