french flying car vaylon pégase flies over the english channel

french pilot bruno vezzoli successfully glides over the english channel in the vaylon ‘pégase’ flying car. unveiled by paris-based manufacturer vaylon, the ‘pégase’ fuses a buggy with a flying car. the vehicle’s combination of a stealthy paraglider with an off-roader gives it the advantage of covering tricky terrain, which could benefit military forces, humanitarian teams, or even researchers in the desert, as founder jérôme dauffy told the new york times in 2014.

all images © vaylon

during the vaylon ‘pégase’s’ latest test flight, which was sponsored by cartier, bruno vezzoli took to the skies on an approximately 50 minute trip from ambleteuse to dover. the pilot was joined in the sky by a team of paramotors who helped document the journey, and he even ‘checked-in’ live on facebook to share the flight, and landing, with his friends and followers.

with only three years of research and development, vaylon believes it has perfected the formula for a ‘flying car’. the ‘pégase’ has an in-flight speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), and can achieve an altitude of 3000 meters. powered by double propellers when in flight, it makes use of a rotax ‘912’ four-cylinder boxer engine that offers excellent autonomy on the road. thanks to its fuel efficiency, the ‘pégase’ can cover 1000 km (620 m).

in just 50 minutes, the ‘pégase’ successfully crossed the channel. vaylon’s feat is a clear mark of the future of transportation, hybrid vehicles that can both drive on the road and take to the skies at the press of a button.