Flying cars aren’t exactly a new concept, but very few of these vehicles make their first flight or at least test their prototypes in public. Klein Vision has successfully sent the AirCar on its first-ever inter-city flight. By fulfilling a key development milestone, the AirCar has moved closer to its production form.
Driven by its inventor Professor Stefan Klein and co-founder Anton Zajac, the inter-city flight happened on June 28, 2021. It’s a 35-minute flight from international airports in Nitra to Bratislava in Slovakia, marking the AirCar’s 142nd successful landing.
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Unlike other flying cars we’ve seen before, the AirCar is a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle that can transform from a car to an airplane in under three minutes. Its wings and tail can be deployed/retracted, therefore completely transforming the vehicle from a four-wheeled “sports car” to a full-blown aircraft. However, the AirCar isn’t ready for your garage just yet as it still needs a runway to take flight.
There are two prototypes of the AirCar. Running using regular pump fuel, the Prototype 1 is powered by a 160-horsepower BMW engine fixed-propeller and a ballistic parachute. It has completed over 40 hours of test flights under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority. It has already flown up to 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) and reached a maximum cruising speed of 118 miles per hour (190 km/h).
The second prototype, the Prototype 2, is more powerful. With a 300-hp engine in its heart, is has received the EASA CS-23 aircraft certification with an M1 road permit. It has a variable pitch propeller and expected to have a cruising speed of 186 mph (300 km/h) with a range of 621 mi (1,000 km).
There isn’t any announced date for a production version of the AirCar but with the development milestone you’ve witnessed above, we can expect it soon.
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