Slovak company carries out successful test flight of flying car between two airports

By
Web Desk

June 30, 2021

A picture of the flying car. Photo: Klein Vision via BBC
A picture of the flying car. Photo: Klein Vision via BBC

  • AirCar takes 35-minute flight between international airports located in Slovakia’s cities Nitra and Bratislava.
  • Prof Stefan Klein says car, which uses regular petrol-pump fuel and a BMW engine, can fly close to 1,000km.
  • Hybrid car can be changed into an aircraft in about two minutes and 15 seconds.

A company in Slovakia has developed a successful prototype of a hybrid flying car, BBC News reported on Wednesday.

The British broadcaster said that the car, which is known as AirCar, took a 35-minute flight between international airports located in Slovakia’s cities Nitra and Bratislava.

Prof Stefan Klein, the creator of the car, said that it uses regular petrol-pump fuel, has a BMW engine, and can fly close to 1,000km at a height of 8,200ft. He also said that the car had flown close to 40 hours in the air.

Read more: Hyundai to make flying cars for Uber air taxis

The hybrid car can be changed into an aircraft in about two minutes and 15 seconds.

Prof Klein tested the car in front of reporters on Monday morning and took off from a runway. He claimed that the car flew at around 170km/h when it was airborne.

The creator has said that the car can carry two people and has a combined weight limit of 200kg.

But pop culture fans will be disappointed by the invention as it does not take off like drone-taxi prototypes. The car can only take off and land vertically and needs a runway.

Took two years to develop

Klein Vision, the company behind AirCar, said that it took them close to two years to develop the car and cost them less than two million euros.

Adviser and investor in Klein Vision Anton Rajac told BBC that if the company can attract a small amount of global airline or taxi sales then they would be successful.

Read more: Czech 'GyroDrive' beats flying cars for hybrid licence

"There are about 40,000 orders of aircraft in the United States alone. And if we convert 5% of those, to change the aircraft for the flying car — we have a huge market," Rajac told BBC.