The flying car is a concept that has been dreamed by many for many years. Ever since cars became common and planes got commercialized, many people would question whether the both can be combined to have the best of both worlds. Many experiments and prototypes were carried out but only a few could see the light of the day, let alone go into production. Too many restrictions, design and technology limitations, lack of funds have caused many companies to give up on the idea of a real working flying car.
More details
However, it looks like the dream just might come true with the AirCar. The AirCar has successfully completed its first intercity test flight for the first time.
On June 28, the car flew between two international airports of Nitra and Bratislava in Slovakia. It took around 35 minutes to cover the distance. The AirCar can transform into a sportscar in less than 3 seconds at the push of a button. The flying car gets a 160 hp BMW engine and it also has a fixed propeller and a ballistic parachute.
The AirCar is capable of flying 1,000 km at an altitude of 8,200 ft. It can fly up to speeds of 170 km/h. It has already clocked 40 hours of flying to date and it has also performed steep 45 degree turns with stability and manoeuvrability testing. It takes two minutes and fifteen seconds for it to take off and convert from a car to an aircraft. The AirCar has also completed 142 successful landings which require a runaway, unlike some other flying cars which perform a vertical take-off like drones.
The Aircar will now get another prototype that will feature improvements and additions over the current one after completing these tests. One of these changes will be a 300hp engine that could travel over 1,000 km of distance and achieve a speed of 300 km/h.
Though it seems like a distant future, it seems like flying cars could become a possibility. Flying cars becoming mainstream could still be a few decades away due to the infrastructure and the technology that it demands but we certainly cannot rule out the possibility. Whatever one might say, it does seem to be a step in the right direction!