Story at a glance
- Video of the flight shows the AirCar lift off and fly more than 8,000 feet before eventually landing at the airport in Bratislava.
- With a push of a button, the wings folded down along the sides of the aircraft, and it transformed into a sports car.
- The company says the flight cut typical travel time between the two cities by a factor of two.
A flying car prototype has successfully completed a 35-minute test flight between two cities in Slovakia.
The AirCar developed by Klein Vision flew on Monday between international airports in Nitra and Bratislava. It was the flying car’s first intercity flight and 142nd successful landing.
Video of the flight shows the AirCar lift off and fly more than 8,000 feet before eventually landing at the airport in Bratislava. With a push of a button, the wings folded down along the sides of the aircraft, and it transformed into a sports car.
The company says the flight cut typical travel time between the two cities by a factor of two.
The aircraft was piloted by Klein Vision CEO Stefan Klein.
“This flight starts a new era of dual transportation vehicles. It opens a new category of transportation and returns the freedom originally attributed to cars back to the individual,” Klein said.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
“AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept; flying at 8,200 ft at a speed of [115 miles per hour], has turned science fiction into a reality,” Klein Vision co-founder Anton Zajac said.
The AirCar Prototype 1 is equipped with a 160 horsepower BMW engine and fixed propeller. It has completed more than 40 hours of test flights.
The milestone comes as the chief executive of Hyundai’s European operations recently said he believes flying cars could become a reality by the end of the decade.
READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA
MAN BUILDS HIS OWN SUBMARINE AS PANDEMIC PROJECT AND DIVES TO BOTTOM OF LAKE
AMERICA’S FIRST 3D-PRINTED NEIGHBORHOOD IS ‘THE FUTURE OF HOUSING’
INJUSTICE BY DESIGN: CONFRONTING THE EMBEDDED RACISM OF AMERICA’S CITIES
HOW A PASTOR IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS FIGHTING ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM WITH A SUSTAINABLE WATER FARM
NEW YORK WILL WORK WITH GATES FOUNDATION TO ‘REIMAGINE’ SCHOOLS
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
