AirCar: Through the air at a speed of 190 km/h 🎥
FUTURE A car that unfolds its wings behind the town sign, flies from town to town and then returns to the hotel parking lot on four wheels? Stefan Klein has demonstrated this with his AirCar. At the push of a button, the "Prototype 1" transforms into a small aircraft in which the body extends to the rear. In 35 minutes, the [...]
At the push of a button, the "Prototype 1" transforms into a small aircraft in which the body extends to the rear.
In 35 minutes, the Slovakian engineer flew his self-developed mix of sports car and airplane from the airport in Nitra to the international airport in the capital city of Bratislava, 90 kilometers away.
Locomotion with 160 hp BMW engine
On the ground, the Aircar looks like a small Formula GT racing car, albeit with a strikingly monstrous spoiler and propeller at the rear. At the push of a button, the "Prototype 1" then transforms into a small aircraft in which the body extends to the rear and wings fold out from the flanks.
Locomotion is provided by a 160 hp BMW engine, which also drives the fixed propeller in flight. This enables the car plane to reach a top speed of 190 km/h (103 kt) and a flight altitude of 8200 feet (just under 2500 meters).
A ballistic parachute on board just in case
It was the Aircar's 142nd flight. It had previously completed more than 40 hours of test flights under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority, including steep 45-degree turns and stability and maneuverability tests.
Nevertheless, a ballistic parachute is on board just in case. This time, inventor Stefan Klein didn't need it. After landing, he turned the aircraft back into a car in less than three minutes at the push of a button, reaching the center of Bratislava in half the usual time.
Second prototype with 1000 kilometer range
Stefan Klein: "This flight marks the beginning of a new era for dual transport vehicles."
His company, Klein Vision, has already announced its second prototype, which will use a controllable pitch propeller to reach a cruising speed of 300 km/h (162 knots) and fly up to 1,000 kilometers.
