A world with flying cars is quickly becoming a reality. Earlier this year, the Slovak Transport Authority issued an official Certificate of Airworthiness to the AirCar – a transformable car-aircraft. Klein Vision, the company behind the project, completed 70 hours of rigorous flight testing and over 200 takeoffs and landings. With the certificate in hand, the company now has the nod of approval to bring its flying car to the world.
Certificate of Airworthiness
The Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA) is a necessary stamp of approval that legitimizes all aircraft. Obtaining the certificate is not a walk through the park. It can take a company multiple years of testing and modifying to finally meet the strict guidelines. For a company like Klein Vision to receive a CoA for its AirCar is nothing short of extraordinary.
Flying car concept
Klein Vision was founded by Stefan Klein, a physicist and visionary, in 2017. However, the original idea first blossomed in his university thesis in 1989. Since then, it has been Klein’s lifework to actualize his dream of a flying car. Now, it has become a reality.
The AirCar is both a luxury sportscar and a compact passenger plane. With the click of a button, the driver can convert the car-aircraft to drive the streets or soar through the clouds.
The flying car can lift its wheels off the ground in a short distance of 380 meters on asphalt or 550 meters on grass. Once in the air, the AirCar is capable of high-performance maneuvers and secure flight stability. It has an impressive cruising speed of more than 160 km/h (100 mph), and the company claims it has a flight range of 1,000 km (621 mi).
Although Klein Vision’s AirCar looks like a car and even drives like a car, a pilot’s license will be required to operate it.
From plane to car
When the AirCar touches back down, it only needs two minutes to transform into its car form. Once the conversion process is complete, it has the appearance of a futuristic McLaren. On the streets, the AirCar can reach automotive speeds of 160 km/h (about 100 mph) and maneuver like a normal road vehicle.
Klein Vision hasn’t suggested it should replace the car you drive to the grocery store, but it’s safe to say the AirCar could handle it.
A future with flying cars?
Now that the AirCar has received the Certificate of Airworthiness, the likelihood of a future with flying cars is inevitable. In fact, Klein Vision isn’t the only company close to producing a practical flying car.
A chief executive at Hyundai, a South Korean car manufacturer also working on a car-aircraft, claimed that flying cars will be in cities by 2030.
Until then, people will have to wait and see if owning a flying car will be possible in their lifetime.
Production
Klein Vision is currently finalizing a version of the AirCar that will be available for purchase within the next year. Flying cars are not going to be cheap – at least not in the beginning. The company hasn’t released an official price tag for the AirCar; however, it’s believed it will cost between €500,000 (US$510,000) and €1,000,000 (US$1,200,000). At that price range, it won’t be in the budget of an average person.
