Sky High: Flying Car Completes First Ever Inter-City Test Flight!

A prototype flying car recently completed a test flight between two cities in Slovakia, travelling for 35 minutes.

AirCar, a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle, took a step closer to production, thanks to the milestone accomplished.

The patent-protected AirCar successfully landed in Bratislava for the 142nd time. Upon landing, the aeroplane evolved into a sports car in under three minutes. It was driven to downtown Bratislava by its creator, Professor Stefan Klein, and co-founder, Anton Zajac, slashing the standard commute time in half.

“Professor Stefan Klein is the world leader in the development of user-friendly Flying Cars. The automated transition from road vehicle into an air vehicle and vice versa, deploying/retracting wings and tail is not only the result of pioneering enthusiasm, innovative spirit and courage; it is an outcome of excellent engineering and professional knowledge,” said Boeing Co. senior technical fellow Dr Branko Sarh.

The AirCar Prototype 1 has a fixed-propeller BMW engine with 160 horsepower and a ballistic parachute. It accomplished over 40 hours of test flights under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority, including abrupt 45-degree turns and stability and manoeuvrability tests. The prototype has flown at an altitude of 8200 feet and a maximum cruising speed of 190 km/h.

Meanwhile, the AirCar Prototype 2 will feature a different mechanism: a 300HP engine and an EASA CS-23 aircraft certification with an M1 road permit. Prototype 2 is predicted to have a cruise speed of 300km/h and a range of 1000km thanks to its variable pitch propeller.

“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 (185 km/h), it has turned science fiction into a reality,” added Klein Vision co-founder Anton Zajac. 

According to Klein Vision's website, the AirCar will be available in three and four-seater configurations, as well as twin-engine and amphibious versions.