Flying car gets OK from Slovakia government

(CNN) - A flying car has been given an official Certificate of Airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority after successful flight testing.

The AirCar, which is “dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle,” completed 70 hours of “rigorous flight testing” with over 200 takeoffs and landings, according to Klein Vision, the company that developed the car.

The test flights were compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency standards, the company said in a news release Monday.

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

A team of eight highly skilled specialists worked over 100,000 manhours to convert design drawings into mathematical models “with CFD analysis calculations, wind tunnel testing, 1:1 design prototype powered by electric 15KW engine to 1000kg 2-seat dual-mode prototype powered by 1.6L BMW engine that achieved the crucial certification milestone,” the company said.

In June 2021, the AirCar completed a test flight between two cities in Slovakia - Nitra and the capital Bratislava - spending 35 minutes airborne. After landing in Bratislava, the aircraft was transformed into a car and driven into the city center.

“AirCar certification opens 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, who invented the car and is leader of the development team and the test pilot.

“50 years ago, the car was the epitome of freedom,” said Anton Zajac, the project cofounder. “AirCar expands those frontiers, by taking us into the next dimension; where road meets sky.”

“The automated transition from road vehicle into an air vehicle and vice versa, deploying/retracting wings and tail is not only the result of pioneering enthusiasm, innovative spirit and courage; it is an outcome of excellent engineering and professional knowledge,” said Dr. Branko Sarh, Boeing Co. Senior Technical Fellow, after AirCar’s first intercity flight last year.

Klein Vision has already completed tests of a new powerful, lightweight, and efficient ADEPT Airmotive aviation engine and finalized drawings and technical calculations for the upcoming monocoque model “with variable pitch propeller expected to reach speeds over 300km/h and range of 1,000km,” the company said

“Klein Vision’s AirCar is an engineering marvel, and we look forward our long-term cooperation!” said Raymond Bakker, the ADEPT Technical Director.

The new production model is expected to be certified in 12 months, the company said.

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