A Slovak designer has just completed the first test flight of the Aeromobil Version 2.5, the latest pre-prototype of a flying car he has been honing to perfection for 20 years.
A YouTube film of the maiden flight from an airstrip in Slovakia is shown on the company’s website. The car first drove along regular highways, then took to the air.
On the ground, the Aeromobil’s insect-like wings are folded straight back along the fuselage and the engine drives the front wheels. In the air, a three-blade propeller provides propulsion.
There is room for two people in the snug cockpit and there are two steering wheels, one for driving on the ground and a smaller wheel for flying. The vehicle weighs a mere 450 kilograms without fuel and passengers on board.
The latest prototype is driven by a Rotax 912 light-aircraft power plant — a four-cylinder engine turning out about 100 horsepower.
Design Stefan Klein says the current Aeromobil is very close to the 3.0 production version which he hopes will go into series production soon. Earlier versions were more boxy in appearance and less technically sophisticated.
A graduate of Slovak University of Technology, Klein headed research projects for Audi, Volkswagen and BMW.
On its home page Aeromobil says the flying car fits into a standard parking space and can refuel at any regular service station.
“It is fully accustomed to road traffic and as a plane it could both take-off and land at any airport in the world,” reads the blurb.
Klein is not the only engineer working towards the world’s first commercially viable flying car.
US-based Terrafugia is currently developing a fixed-wing model reminiscent of a small spaceship.