THE world’s first flying car that transforms into a plane is set to hit the market for a whopping £600,000 next year – but you’ll need another license to drive it.
Made in Slovakia by designer Stefan Klein and KleinVision’s co-founder Anton Zajac, the AirCar was approved for flight in 2022 following more than 200 successful takeoffs and landings.
The incredible vehicle is set to hit the market next year – making it the first flying car to release in a whopping 75 years.
A company spokesperson confirmed last week that the vehicle is scheduled to go on sale in early 2026 and will be priced at around $800,000 to $1 million USD – or £600,000.
It previously featured on one episode of The Grand Tour, where Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May watched it take off and land.
Test versions of the flying car have already clocked up more than 170 flight hours.
They’ve been spread across an impressive 500 take-offs and landings.
AirCar boasts that its flying vehicle can turn from a car to an aircraft “in less than two minutes”.
But it would need to pass local checks to be considered both road- and air-legal before drivers can actually use it properly.
And in order to operate the vehicle, you’ll need to have both a driver’s licence and a pilot’s licence.
On top of that, you’ll also need to undertake a specialised two-to-three month flying course.
Klein first began working on flying car concepts in the 1980s, but his AirCar prototype didn’t take flight until October 2020.
Since then, the AirCar has reportedly made hundreds of flights – including between different airports.
The Slovakian-made craft is said to have a range of 620 miles, and can reach heights of up to 15,000 feet.
It takes about two minutes to fully transform from a road car to a flying vehicle.
And it needs a run up of about 980 feet to take off, according to AirCar – that’s bad news if you’ve got a short driveway.
The AirCar received certification as an aircraft in Slovakia in early 2022.
AirCar has previously said that the car would cost somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million – that’s about £375,000 to £750,000.
“AirCar is composed of several functional units,” KleinVision explained.
“Its aerodynamic fuselage provides enough space for the passengers and, at the same time, contributes to better lift characteristics during the flight.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14219679/flying-car-plane-market/
