Flying car completes first inter-city flight

A Slovakian-developed flying car has made its first flight between cities, touching down after a 35-minute journey.

KleinVision’s AirCar departed Nitra airport on the morning of June 28, making its 142nd successful landing at Bratislava's airport.

The vehicle was then driven into downtown Bratislava, completing the inter-city trip twice as quickly as a conventional car.

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The prototype has been under development by KleinVision for almost two years, and has now flown for over 40 hours. The vehicle is powered by a 160hp (119kW) BMW engine which runs on pump fuel, with a claimed flight range of 1000km. Air cruising speed is said to be 170km/h, or 107km/h on land.

Unlike many recent flying car designs which use drone-like propulsion layouts, the AirCar’s single rear-mounted propeller means it requires a traditional runway for takeoff and landing. Its wings and tail fold into the body once landed, in an automated process said to take less than three minutes.

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KleinVision is also developing a more advanced version of the AirCar, dubbed simply, Prototype 2. This vehicle will receive a 300hp (223kW) engine, and M1 road certification in a step towards making the vehicle ready for public sale. It’s expected to cruise at 300km/h in the air, with a 1000km range.

Though many flying cars have been dreamed up over the decades, it will be a long time before they’re available to consumers (if ever). In the shorter term, we’re more likely to see short-distance air taxis take to the skies, offering personal transport around cities.

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Porsche last year unveiled concepts for an autonomous, passenger-carrying drone as part of a joint venture with Boeing, while Uber announced plans to introduce its Uber Air taxi service to Australia.

You can find footage of the flight on KleinVision’s YouTube Channel.