Is It A Car? Is It A Plane? No, It’s The AirCar

• by Alex Lockey
• June 30, 2021
• 3 min read

© Credit to Klein Vision

Have you ever seen a car fly? You have now, thanks to Klein Vision’s AirCar which just completed its first ever inner-city test flight.

• AirCar can switch from flight to driving mode in under three minutes once at ground level.
• AirCar completed its first inner-city flight in Slovakia, and is more than a simple “proof of concept.”
• The AirCar has completed more than 40 hours of test flights, capable of reaching 8,200ft while travelling 190km/h.

You know that phrase: seeing is believing? Yeah, the ‘AirCar’ is definitely something you need to take a good look at because it does not make sense in the slightest on paper.

The AirCar is a dual-motor car/aircraft that can switch between driving/flight in under three minutes. We know this because it just completed its first inner-city flight in Slovakia. A 35-minute test flight took the AirCar from the international airport in Nitra to the international airport in Bratislava before driving downtown.

Seriously, watch this video and be amazed.

It’s the stuff of science fiction, or magic, or perhaps a mixture of the two. Or maybe it’s the work of Professor Stefan Klein, the inventor of AirCar and the co-founder of Klein Vision.

Multiple versions of the AirCar are in development. Prototype 1 is equipped with a 160HP BMW engine, complete with fixed propeller and ballistic parachute. This was the AirCar shown in the video.

Prototype 2 is a little different and should be considered the pre-production model. This version will sport a 300HP engine and receive the EASA CS-23 aircraft certification with an M1 road permit. In case you haven’t guessed, the Prototype 2 is the bigger/better version and is expected to have a cruise speed of 300km/h, capable of reaching up to 621 miles.

© Credit to Klein Vision

Anton Zajac, co-founder of Klein Vision, said the following: “AirCar is no longer just a proof of concept; flying at 8,200ft at a speed of 100kt, it has turned science fiction into a reality.”

The AirCar is a flying car in the most literal sense possible. Just look at it. It’s basically a car with wings, unlike the eVTOL aircraft we’ve covered extensively, and the Alauda Airspeeder — a craft that has recently taken its first flight too.

“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,” says Klein, the genius behind this project.

Well, they said it was impossible, but we actually have a flying car. Could a project like this see have commercial value? Or is it far too ambitious for its own good? Give us your thoughts on social media.

Alex Lockey

Alex likes aircraft a lot. Probably too much. After studying for his degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he started working in people services related to engineering and education. Yet, the allure of the skies keeps pulling him back in. Alex loves to focus on the emerging world of electrified flight, drone tech and the wider EV tech landscape. When he’s not penning a few pieces for E4TP, Alex mostly spends his time either with his young family or in his businesses. One day, he hopes to own his very own aircraft, preferably an electric one.

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