The flying car is a concept that has been dreamed of 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. Back in June 2021, a flying car named AirCar successfully completed its first intercity flight for the first time. Now, the AirCar has been issued with a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority. This could mean that we could soon see the AirCar officially hit the roads and the sky!
AirCar: What is it?
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 maneuverability 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.
On June 28, 2021, 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 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!