As Doc Brown once said in “Back to the Future,” “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”
Although the AirCar does need a runway to take off and land, this flying car is getting us one step closer to making a huge staple of science fiction a reality!
Twenty years ago, Stefan Klein began pursuing his dream of creating a flying car. He’s accomplished a lot since then and has worked with top automotive companies like Audi, Volkswagen, and BMW. Now, he is the founder and CEO of Klein Vision, and he’s finally making his goal a reality.
This unusual prototype, which looks like it came straight out of a movie, took about two years to develop. It can carry two people and has a weight limit of around 440 pounds. Although it isn’t the first flying car ever, it is the very first to travel from one international airport to another.
Powered by a BMW engine and running on regular petrol-pump fuel, the AirCar took off from the international airport in Nitra, Slovakia, and made it all the way to the international airport in Bratislava, Slovakia.
During this remarkable flight, the AirCar went up to 105 mph and reached an altitude of 8,200 feet. This exciting trip might sound a bit intimidating or even scary, but according to Stefan, his experience was “normal” and “very pleasant.”
It may have felt “normal” to Stefan, but it will still be a while before flying cars become the norm for the rest of us. For one thing, this prototype cost almost $2 million. Plus, in order for planes and helicopters to be certified to fly, they must pass rigorous tests. This includes providing years’ worth of proof that a vehicle is able to travel without any incidents.
That being said, there are plenty of people who believe we’ll get to that point – maybe even sooner than we think. Those include Stephen Wright, a senior research fellow in avionics and aircraft at the University of the West of England.
“I have to admit that this looks really cool – but I’ve got a hundred questions about certification,” Stephen said. “Anyone can make an aeroplane, but the trick is making one that flies and flies and flies for the thick end of a million hours, with a person on board, without having an incident. I can’t wait to see the piece of paper that says this is safe to fly and safe to sell.”
It’s just a matter of time before we’re all soaring through the air in flying cars. What an awesome milestone!
Check out the historic flight in the video below, and share this story to celebrate an incredible feat of science and technology.
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