klein vision's flying AirCar receives airworthiness certificate in slovakia

flying car certified to fly

following the completion of a 35-minute inter-city flight in june, now klein vision’s flying car wins an airworthiness certificate by the slovak transport authority. the ‘AirCar’ is capable to take over the sky, reaching speeds of over 100mph (160km/h) and heights more than 8,000ft (2,500m). the certification followed 70 hours of rigorous flight testing compatible with european aviation safety agency (EASA) standards, with over 200 takeoffs and landings. as the company mentioned, this futuristic vehicle can convert from an aircraft to a car within two minutes.

image by klein vision

all video still courtesy of ‘flying car certified to fly!’

where the road meets the sky

developed by slovakian startup company, klein vision, ‘AirCar’ is a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle, powered by a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol-pump fuel. eight highly skilled specialists at klein vision worked in total more than 100,000 hours to design, model, and test the 1000kg two-seat dual-mode vehicle. according to the company, the upcoming monocoque model with variable pitch propeller is expected to reach speeds over 300km/h and a range of 1,000km.

the challenging flight tests included the full range of flight and performance maneuvers and demonstrated an astonishing static and dynamic stability in the aircraft model. the takeoff and landing procedures were achieved even without the pilot’s need to touch the flight controls.

its certification ‘had opened the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars. it is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever,’ said professor stefan klein, the inventor, leader of the development team and the test pilot. ’50 years ago, the car was the epitome of freedom,’ says anton zajac, the project cofounder. ‘AirCar expands those frontiers, by taking us into the next dimension; where road meets sky.’

‘transportation authority carefully monitored all stages of unique AirCar development from its start in 2017. the transportation safety is our highest priority. AirCar combines top innovations with safety measures in line with easa standards. it defines a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft. its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task,’ said rené molnár, the director of the civil aviation division (transport authority of slovakia).

after the scheduled upgrades, klein vision expects the next production model to be certified in 12 months.