This Flying Car Just Got Approval To Soar Over Traffic
Slovakian company Klein Vision is inching closer towards fulfilling humanity's obsession with flying cars. Klein Vision's AirCar prototype was recently issued a Certificate of Airworthiness from the Slovak Transport Authority after completing 70 hours of flight testing (and over 200 takeoffs and landings) mandated by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
You know what this means, right? It implies the AirCar is now free to roam the skies of Slovakia, but only in Slovakia at the moment. Nevertheless, receiving a Certificate of Airworthiness brings AirCar closer to mass production reality.
The AirCar brings to mind Terrafugia's Transition flying car, which received its Light-Sport Airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) last year. Both are two-seat flying cars powered by gasoline-fed internal combustion engines, but the styling couldn't be more different.
Klein Vision
While the Terrafugia resembles a Piper-Arrow Tomahawk low-wing training aircraft with four wheels, the AirCar looks like the lovechild of a sports coupe and a small airplane. It still has four wheels, but it also has folding wings that deploy when you're ready to hit the skies.
Klein Vision
Development for the AirCar began in 2017. By June 2021, AirCar completed its 35-minute test flight between two international airports (from Nida to Bratislava) and has completed over 40 hours of test flights under the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) supervision. The AirCar performed steep 45-degree turns during its voyage, climbed up to 8200 feet, and achieved a maximum cruising speed of 118 mph (190 kph).
"AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars," said Prof. Stefan Klein, inventor, development team leader, and test pilot of AirCar." It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever."
Klein Vision
Klein Vision's AirCar prototype draws power from a 1.6-liter BMW gas engine producing 139 horsepower, meaning you can land at the nearest fuel pump to fill up your flying car with petrol. The company is also working closely with Adept Airmotive in developing a new, lighter, yet more powerful engine for a new monocoque prototype with a variable-pitch propeller, enough to reach a top speed of 186 mph (300 kph) and a 621-mile (1,000 km) range. The company also has a four-seater amphibious "flying boat" in the pipelines.
Klein Vision
So, when can you get your hands on a Klein Vision AirCar? If you plan on moving to the Slovak Republic, the company hopes to have an upgraded model pre-approved for flight in about a year, with production commencing by early to mid-2023.