07-01-2021, 11:42 AM | #1 |
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Featured on BIMMERPOST.com A prototype flying car has completed a test flight between two cities in Slovakia, spending 35 minutes airborne. Klein Vision's AirCar flew between Nitra and the capital Bratislava on Monday, according to a press release published Wednesday. The AirCar Prototype 1 is powered by a 160 horsepower BMW engine, and comes equipped with a fixed propeller. It transforms from aircraft to road vehicle in less than three minutes. It has now completed more than 40 hours of test flights, according to Klein Vision, including flying at 8,200 feet and reaching a maximum cruising speed of 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour). After landing in Bratislava on Monday, the aircraft transformed into a car, and was driven into the city center by Klein Vision CEO Stefan Klein and company co-founder Anton Zajac. "AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept," Zajac said in the press release. "It has turned science fiction into a reality." The company is working on a model called AirCar Prototype 2, which will boast a 300 horsepower engine. It is expected to be able to cruise at 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) and have a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). Klein Vision plans to develop three- and four-seater models of the AirCar, as well as twin-engine and amphibious versions, according to its website. A growing number of companies are exploring the potential of flying vehicles despite hurdles including safety and reliability. Flying vehicles would need to operate in crowded airspace, near small drones and traditional airplanes, and also need a regulatory framework, which could take years. Uber and Hyundai unveiled plans for an electric flying taxi at last year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Michael Cole, the CEO of Hyundai's European unit, said on Tuesday that the South Korean automaker is working "very actively" on the program. Volkswagen said in February that it is looking into flying vehicles in China. Meanwhile, Porsche, Daimler and Toyota have all backed startups in what is known as the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry. In August 2020, Japanese company Sky Drive Inc. conducted Japan's first public demonstration of a flying vehicle. The car took off from Toyota Test Field and circled for around four minutes. Source: https://abc7.com/10848242/ Pretty cool!
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07-01-2021, 12:46 PM | #2 |
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Interesting exercise, I"m not a pilot but I worked on private aircraft. My issue with the flying car in general is it's really only a compelling idea because most people think you'll use it like a regular car.
In reality, you still have to take off and land at an airport. Even if you can do your preflight while the car is transitioning to flight trim you'd still want to get out and do a thorough ground inspection first. So about the only advantage I see is entertaining people at the local air show or maybe an air Uber for short airport to airport runs. Of course we already have rotorcraft for that so your remaining benefit is if weather grounds the airport you can drive it, but then I'd probably just call car anyway. Also, I don't know what the final purchase price for this would be once it got into a full production run but maybe a mill???? For that money I'd look into a light turbo prop which would give you more range, speed and arguably more comfort. So what I see you're left with is unique spec aircraft that will appeal to people that like to fly odd airplanes. I don't think it's viable for this day in age. I think the "jetsons" style personal aircraft is probably going to have to wait for anti-matter engines and unobtainium construction material.
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