A flying car prototype has successfully finished a 35-minute test flight, at a speed of 50 miles between the airports in Nitra and Bratislava, Slovakia. Dubbed AirCar, the vehicle is a transforming hybrid that can drive like cars or unfold its wings and take a flight, reports BBC.
A flying car that runs on gasoline
The vehicle also has a few hurdles such as weight capacity and its range. But the fact that a car can transform itself into a plane is in itself something to be excited about. The AirCar is a bit different from other flying cars that have been sweeping headlines.
Other such vehicles are called Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles and are powered by batteries, in a bid to make the world fossil fuel-free. However, the AirCar packs a BMW engine and runs on the same gasoline used for cars, which allows the vehicle to travel 600 miles with a full tank.
AirCar is similar to airplanes
An eVTOL travels more like a chopper than a plane, while the AirCar needs a proper runway to take off and land – a process that developer and test pilot Stefan Klein finds “normal,” as quoted by BBC.
“I have to admit that this looks really cool — but I’ve got a hundred questions about certification,” Stephen Wright, aircraft research fellow told the BBC. “Anyone can make an aeroplane but the trick is making one that flies and flies and flies for the thick end of a million hours, with a person on board, without having an incident. I can’t wait to see the piece of paper that says this is safe to fly and safe to sell,” he added.
Besides, Australia-based firm Airspeeder seems to be gearing up for a three-race series using eVTOL vehicles this year. The company recently confirmed that its flying car successfully completed its first test flight. The flying racecar will be participating in the competition.
