Stuck in traffic on your way to office? You must have thought adding wings to your car and flying it all the way to your office.
This dream has finally taken shape in Slovakia.
Slovak Transport Authority has given all regulatory approvals including the certificate of airworthiness in accordance with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards to AirCar.
AirCar completed its first intercity flight in June 2021.
How it works?
The dual-mode vehicle has already completed more than 70 hours of test flights, 200 take-offs and landings, and makes tight 45-degree turns. Its wings are fully retractable and it is currently equipped with a 160 horsepower BMW engine, a fixed propeller and a ballistic parachute.
The process of transforming from car to plane takes less than three minutes. Everything is automated, so a single button command is all it takes to change it.
The current prototype has a range of 500 kilometres and requires 28 litres of fuel. Industry experts are confident that very soon we will have a prototype with a range of 1 000 kilometres (621 miles) and fly at 300 kilometres per hour.
What’s Next?
KleinVisionm the manufacturers of the car, will still have to obtain the certification of type of aircraft to launch the commercial exploitation of its aircraft from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
It defines a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft. Its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task.
German flying-taxi startup Lilium and Uber are two other players exploring opportunities in flying car business.
Exciting times ahead for all of us stuck in traffic!
