A prototype flying car has completed the first-ever test flight between international airports in Nitra and Bratislava, Slovakia, taking to the skies and landing in 35 minutes.
The hybrid car-aircraft, “AirCar” designed by Slovak designer, Stefan Klein completed an 80km flight, the first flight by the flying car between two international airports and the longest flight in distance at an average speed of 170 km/h.
AirCar is equipped with a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol-pump fuel.
According to the inventors, Klein Vision, AirCar completed its 142nd successful landing and the flight marked a key development milestone.
After landing, at a click of a button, the aircraft transformed into a sports car in under three minutes and was driven by its inventor.
Automotive technology and aviation technology are gradually merging. Compared to traditional cars and aircrafts, flying cars are highly flexible and can operate as a mode of transportation on land and in the air.
According to a report, flying cars have been favoured by notable investors due to their broad application prospects.
The co-founder and CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, Larry Page, was among the first to recognize their potential, personally funding three companies, Zee Aero, Opener and Kitty Hawk, with Google’s self-driving team founder, Sebastian Thrun, becoming the CEO of flying vehicle startup, Kitty Hawk
Meanwhile, ride hailing company, Uber has also disclosed that it is planning to launch it’s own air taxi in the coming years.
AirCar: Flying Car Completes First-ever Test Flight Between Two Airports
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