The quest to produce a commercial flying car got a big boost some days ago when AirCar, a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle, completed the first ever inter-city flight.
The flying vehicle, produced by Klein Vision, conducted a 35-minute flight from the international airport in Nitra to the international airport in Bratislava on June 28th, 2021.
Stefan Klein is a Founder and CEO of KleinVision. AirCar has been developed in KleinVision since 2017 and represents a brand new, patented technology. 12 patents protect a new and unique way of transformation from aircraft to car and vice versa.
Klein Vision’s patent protected AirCar completed its 142nd successful landing in Bratislava at 6:05AM. 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.
The AirCar Prototype 1 is equipped with a 160HP 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 190km/h (103kt).
AirCar Prototype 2, the pre-production model, will be equipped with a 300HP 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 300km/h (162kt) and range of 1000km (621mi).
Check out the video coverage of the flight below.
“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 100kt, it has turned science fiction into a reality.” Added Anton Zajac, the co-founder of Klein Vision.
