Flying cars have always been a dream of a futuristic landscape but the famous icon of science fiction has since become reality.
A car capable of driving along roads as well as soring through the sky has proved itself to the Slovak Transport Authority, achieving an official Certificate of Airworthiness.
The aptly named ‘AirCar’ created by the company Klein Vision underwent 70 hours of rigorous flight testing, completing over 200 take offs and landings in order to satisfy European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
The AirCar is a two-seat vehicle with four wheels, a fossil fuel powered engine and retractable wings that, when extended, allow the vehicle to take off from a runway like an airplane. The transition from car to plane only taking 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
“Transportation Authority carefully monitored all stages of unique AirCar development from its start in 2017. The transportation safety is our highest priority. AirCar combines top innovations with safety measures in line with EASA standards. It defines a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft. Its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task,” said René Molnár, the director of the Civil Aviation Division (Transport Authority of Slovakia).
While it is an exciting advancement in vehicle innovation, we cannot start planning our lives as the Jetsons just yet.
The AirCar requires the driver also have a pilot’s license to operate the vehicle.
It is predicted the AirCar will one day replace helicopters or short private jet trips but for now we can dream of the possibilities a flying car creates.
View a video of the AirCar in flight here.
