While flying cars were just a piece of science fiction and a random marker for a futuristic society, flying car is a reality now. The prototype of AirCar, a hybrid vehicle that flies and drives, completed its first inter-city flight to make history. The car has a BMW engine and can fly up to an altitude of 8,200 feet.
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When the term ‘flying car’ is uttered, different people have different kinds of visuals in their heads. While some think of popular 90s animated show Jetson’s and its futuristic cities, some think of a sci-fi novel by Isaac Asimov. As different as these images may be, there is one thing common about them – they are all considered a thing of fantasy and if not fantasy, something that may be a reality in the next few decades.
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Klein Vision: Turning Fiction into Reality
However, Klein Vision, a Slovakia based company turned the fiction into reality. The company concluded its inaugural inter-city flight that took place between the Nitra airport and the Bratislava airport. At the end of the 35-minute flight, the inventor of the prototype, Stefan Klein, clicked a button and soon the wings of the prototype were tucked in and the car was safe to drive from the runway to the main roads of the city.
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The flying car completes first ever inter-city flight
Video Courtesy: KleinVision
In its press release, Klein Vision stated-
“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.”
Flying Car AirCar- Front | Image Credit: Klein Vision
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“New ear of dual transportation vehicles”: Chief Engineer
After the successful flight, Klein Vision co-founder Anton Zajac was quoted saying-
“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.”
Meanwhile, professor Klein, who is also the chief inventor of AirCar stepped out of the cockpit of the vehicle after the flight and said-
“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.”
3 decades – 142 successful landings – 40 hours of flight
According to an Engadget report, Klein Vision has worked on the prototype of AirCar for over 3 decades. While the company only demonstrated the first prototype of AirCar, professor Klein is confident that the third prototype of the car is already at a point where it can move from the concept stage. Meanwhile, the first prototype of the hybrid vehicle blew at the speed of wind at 170 km/h which was a shy below 190 km/h, its top speed.
Professor Klein has been reported claiming that AirCar has had 142 successful landings and more than 40 hours of flights in its cap. Further, he also stated that the car has already passed its maneuverability testing and achieved a 45 degree turn while flying at 8200 ft.
AirCar: Flight Mode | Image Credit: Klein Vision
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More about AirCar
The first prototype of AirCar is Equipped with 160 HP engine from BMW and has a fixed propeller. However, professor Klein wants a moonshot to his name and claims that another 300 HP model will also receive an aircraft certification from the European aviation regulators and 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),”
-the company said.
