Flying cars are a subject of interest to us here at CarProUSA and we've previously told you about a company called Terrafugia. Now we bring you news about another flying car, dubbed the AirCar. Its parent company says the AirCar is moving closer to production, after a prototype recently completely a successful 35-minute flight between two cities in Slovakia on June 28th, 2021.
The AirCar is defined as a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle owned by parent company Klein Vision. Klein Vision says its patent protected vehicle completed its 142nd successful landing in Bratislava at 6:05AM on the 28th. After landing, at a click of a button the aircraft transformed into a sports car in under three minutes and was driven by its inventor, Professor Stefan Klein and co-founder, Anton Zajac to downtown Bratislava, cutting the typical travel time by a factor of two.
“Professor Stefan Klein is the world leader in the development of user-friendly Flying Cars.” said Dr. Branko Sarh, Boeing Co. Senior Technical Fellow. “The automated transition from road vehicle into an air vehicle and vice versa, deploying/retracting wings and tail is not only the result of pioneering enthusiasm, innovative spirit and courage; it is an outcome of excellent engineering and professional knowledge,” he added.
AirCar Prototypes
The AirCar Prototype 1 is equipped with a 160-horse BMW engine with fixed-propeller and a ballistic parachute. Under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority, the AirCar has completed over 40 hours of test flights, including steep 45 degree turns and stability and maneuverability testing. AirCar Prototype 1 has flown at 8200 ft and reached a maximum cruising speed of 118-miles per hour.
AirCar Prototype 2, the pre-production model, will be equipped with a 300-horsepower engine and receive the EASA CS-23 aircraft certification with an M1 road permit. With its variable pitch propeller, the Prototype 2 is expected to have a cruise speed of 186-miles per hour and range of 621-miles.
“This flight starts a new era of dual transportation vehicles. It opens a new category of transportation and returns the freedom originally attributed to cars back to the individual.” said Professor Klein after exiting the AirCar cockpit in Bratislava. “AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept; flying at 8,200ft at a speed of 115-miles per hour, it has turned science fiction into a reality.” Added Anton Zajac, the co-founder of Klein Vision.
