NITRA, Slovakia — A flying car has successfully completed its first flights.
The fifth generation AirCar designed by Professor Stefan Klein completed two 1,500 foot AGL flights at Piestany Airport in Slovakia Oct. 27, 2020. The AirCar safely achieved two full airport patterns, including two takeoffs and landings, according to officials with Klein Vision.
See a video of the flight below:
The two-seat model weights 1,100 kg (2,425 pounds) and can carry an additional load of 200 kg (440 pounds) per flight.
Powered by a BMW 1.6l engine, the flying car has an effective power output of 140 hp, according to company officials. Estimated travel range of AirCar is 1,000 km (621 miles) and flight consumption of 18 l/h (4.75 gallons).
“The key flight parameters confirmed all theoretical concepts and calculations that the development of the AirCar was based on. Following the completion of all required flight tests in compliance with EASA regulations, we will deliver a model with a certified ADEPT, 300-hp engine within the next six next months,” said Professor Stefan Klein, Klein Vision’s CTO and test pilot. “The good news is, we already have a buyer.”
What will the out of the door price be?
looks very sleek. looks much nicer than the previous attempts.
Questions…..
is 1100 kg its empty weight?
does 200 kg payload include fuel?
if yes, then with 2 full sized adults there eint be much room for fuel.
wondering how the 1100 km range was calculated? under what condition?
what are the performance specs?
as an aircraft, & as a car.
uses mogas?
impressed. Please, this cannot be allowed in irresponsible hands
One consideration would be the likelihood of damage from even a minor traffic accident. Also of concern is damage that may occur in parking lots. Repairs would be highly expensive and then there is the issue of where do you take it for repair. The obvious answer would be an A&P but repairs on this machine would require specialized training. Then there is the issue of insurance, mixing the hazards of flight with road traffic. This will be a problematic machine in my view.
There is no fault with someone pursuing a dream to make a ‘flying car’. That is not the same set of values applied to whether something will be a commercial success. Check 50+ year old issues of aviation magazines and Popular Mechanics for those that flew, and never made it to market.
Everything starts somewhere and nothing is created unless someone persists. To all who find nothing but fault with the attempt,picture this slightly revised scene in a 1978 movie.
If one were to replace the beat-up ’48 Ford with this new AirCar, that great sage,Danny Zuko, might well have asked, “Yea? what car do YOU fly?”
With inspiration and work ,”why it could be “Greased Lightning” !!
It has been learned that Thomas Edison had over 2,400 failed attempts before he was successful at inventing the electric light bulb. Sometimes perseverance is required
Edison floundered without any plan or engineering knowledge, until he stumbled on a design that worked. Then he hired engineer, Nikola Tesla, who greatly improved the Edison generator. Tesla left Edison when he rejected the AC motor and generator…..which we all now live with.
Thank you for the real truth to the grade school story we were all told.
Beside the obvious hybrid limitations (SUV’s sell despite not being a good car or a good truck), the market for this machine is limited to very well off certificated pilots flying in VFR conditions. 99% of the people are not going to go to the trouble and expense to get training to fly/drive only on CAVU days with less performance and more money; so the manufacturers are fighting over the same aging and shrinking group of people…..
When they become self piloting in IFR, fully certified, for the price of a Civic, we will have something.
Congratulations. Please send more info.
Best regards
Gustav Z. HOLDOSI
MOTOROFLUGUNION KLOSTERNEUBURG
Won’t sell. The first mistake is having four big car tires. Best to make a trike and use motorcycle tires for weight and bulk. And really, it should be a hovercraft, not a plane. None of these things are gonna be cross-country devices anyway.
I was going to say how stupid this concept is, but others have beat me to it. It is amazing that so many folks keep wasting their time, money, and talents trying to build what is by definition a terrible car and a terrible airplane.
I’m waiting for what George Jetson uses to commute to work…
I don’t know about a flying car but if a sailplane could self-assemble like that, it would make my day!
It is pretty cool to watch the car mechanically transform to an airplane and back again. Kinda brings the “little kid” out of a person.
Only one word adequately describe this thing … RIDICULOUS !!!
Just like the “jack of all things” F-35 fighter … it won’t be a good car and it won’t be a good airplane. A machine designed to do many different tasks never does. Just like a Swiss Army knife isn’t a weapon you’d ever want to carry to a knife fight … or eat with after cutting and cleaning your nails … this thing will likewise be nothing but proof that some designers are drinking avgas instead of using it in their airplane.
Unless it can fly me out of a traffic jam it’s not worth it.
This can only be considered a step in the process to develop a truly usable (and affordable) vehicle to satisfy the dream of an “every man’s aircraft”. It’s too complex (and likely very costly), has too little load capacity, and with most of those under development can mostly only be operated for landing and takeoffs from an airport.
The better solution to the idea of having fast, personal travel between relatively longer distances, is a network combining small, less-costly rental aircraft, and with rental autos available at the airports handling such traffic.
Also,The question raised about what happens if there is a road accident is not so much about airworthiness, but is more about what the cost of insurance would be for such a complex and expensive machine which is so vulnerable to any mishap.
Every great journey begins with a small step forward
Flying Cars – or driving Airplanes – is an idea that gets recycled about every 20 years or so, but never really gets off the ground (sorry just had to).
Seriously though, the only thing these hybrids are good at, is separating investors from their cash. Look at history, since the 1920’s, there’s always been a flying/driving thing in the works, never has one ever been a commercial success, indeed few ever transition beyond the prototype or flight test stages. Why? Price point – only the rich can afford them, and their potential for a financially devastating fender-bender, the lack of actual benefit, if you can afford this, you can afford to drive a luxury car to the airport and fly a high performance aircraft to your destination, without risking your flight in the off-airport environment. Performance – few of these can match the performance of a much less costly Cessna 172, let alone a high performance Bonanza at the same price point. So, other than the Look-at-me benefit, there isn’t really a benefit to owing one of these, yet.
The first successful personal flying vehicle, is probably going to be some drone-based technology, with vertical lift, GPS point to point automated nav and flight controls. Perfect for today’s low skill – high convenience demographic.
Now there is an observation for you. A “bit heavy” he says?! Of course it is over [a little] your Cessna’s gross…, it carries more, has a modern and incredible power plane and burns far less fuel. Pan that. And “all the moving parts and actuators, adding complexity and reducing reliability[,]” How about the retract on your Cessna if it is so equipped, likely one of the most unreliable components ever designed and you cannot preflight it. When you need it , it either works or it doesn’t, or part of it works, or it works half-way. On this bird, the wings can and are preflighted. And if they are still attached when you land, they will probably work. The landing gear? Well, perhaps not so much. Come on man! ( :-)}
no, wrong on all items.
My Cessna is fixed gear, carries 600 lb. with full fuel and has an 800 mile range at 140 mph.
Why not add a comment on the content of the article, vs slamming the other commenters.?
MAGA..!!
An interesting design , with the fold up and hide away wings, that is actually flying, and driving. Although we all worry about a ‘fender bender’ on the ground making the vehicle not airworthy.
It is a bit heavy , with all the moving parts and actuators, adding complexity and reducing reliability,
It is over 100 lb. heavier than the gross weight of my Cessna.!