Klein Vision, the manufacturer of the AirCar flying car has made an announcement. On 24 January 2022, the Slovakian company announced in a press release that its flying car had been certified. The country’s civil aviation authority has officially issued the AirCar concept with its certificate of airworthiness. The story of the Slovak flying car begins in 2016 when Stefan Klein opens his company Klein Vision. The following year, the AirCar project was born, a prototype flying car, which today has just received its certification. Between the projects of helicopter drones and flying taxis, AEROAFFAIRES presents what could be the future of air transport.
AirCar certification opens the door to mass production of highly efficient flying cars. It is an official and definitive confirmation of our ability to change medium-distance travel forever.
So says Professor Stefan Klein, head of the AirCar flying car project.
The history of Klein Vision’s AirCar
The concept and idea of creating a flying car is not new. Although it has long been seen in science fiction films, the flying car has now become a reality. It is also becoming a new development in air transport.
The AirCar project was launched in 2017 by Klein Vision, a Slovak company. A team of 8 aeronautics professionals developed this flying car project. Over the course of a few years, the project evolved from initial sketches, through various prototypes, to wind tunnel tests of the engines and the aircraft… And with all this, no less than 100,000 hours of work were required to build the AirCar. The AirCar is the ultimate in technology and one of the first vehicles to travel on land and in the air.
After several years of study and research, it was time to present AirCar to the general public. And it’s done, AirCar was presented in November 2019 in China (in Shanghai) during the China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Today, it is its 5th version that has received certification. To achieve this, the AirCar has undergone various test phases. In particular, it flew for a total of 70 hours, and performed around 200 take-off and landing manoeuvres. The aircraft fully complies with EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) standards. The Slovak Civil Aviation Authority has therefore issued the Klein Vision flying car with its certificate of airworthiness.
What are the characteristics of the AirCar?
A car, we know. But what does a flying car look like? The engineers and inventors of this car had to find ingenious ways to make their project a success. The idea behind the AirCar is that it can move both in the air and on the ground. And indeed, the AirCar has both an aerodynamic fuselage and a modern, attractive design inside and out. It is made primarily of a composite material, which increases its lift capacity during flight. In addition, flight tests have demonstrated the stability of the aircraft in the air. Similarly, for take-off and landing manoeuvres, Klein Vision ensured that the aircraft manoeuvres without the pilot having to operate the controls.
The AirCar is powered by a 160 horsepower BMW 1.6L engine. It is powered by petrol. Several prototypes have been manufactured by Klein Vision. There is a two-seater, a 3-seater and a 4-seater, as well as an amphibious version.
The two-seater version weighs almost 1000 kilos. It can travel distances of around 1000 km with a speed of over 300 km/h.
The automated transition from a road vehicle to an air vehicle and vice versa, the deployment/retraction of the wings and tail is not only the result of pioneering enthusiasm, innovation and courage; it is the result of excellent engineering and professional knowledge.
Says Branko Sarh, senior technical scientist at Boeing Co.
This flying car, a combination of innovation and technology, made its debut on 28 June 2021. Indeed, the AirCar made a first flight between two cities, lasting 35 minutes from Nitra to Bratislava. The flight went perfectly well, and on landing, in just 3 minutes, the AirCar’s wings folded away to make way for a normal car. The car then drove off into the city centre of the Slovak capital.
To date, new models of the AirCar are in production, and one of their models should be certified this year.
As AirCar co-founder Anton Zojac says, their flying car is a device linking several elements: “where the road meets the sky“.
While we wait for the flying car to arrive on our roads and in the air, our air experts are at your disposal 24/7 for your private flight at +33 (0) 1 44 09 91 82. Do not hesitate to visit our online quote to obtain a price estimate for your tailor-made flight.
