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Aircraft

AeroMobil to launch a production flying car next week

By Loz Blain
April 12, 2017
AeroMobil to launch a production flying car next week
Render of the new AeroMobil flying car, set to be released and for sale on April 20
Render of the new AeroMobil flying car, set to be released and for sale on April 20
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Render of the new AeroMobil flying car, set to be released and for sale on April 20
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Render of the new AeroMobil flying car, set to be released and for sale on April 20
Extending wheel arches give the new AeroMobil a wider wheel track on the road and a superior aerodynamic profile in the air
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Extending wheel arches give the new AeroMobil a wider wheel track on the road and a superior aerodynamic profile in the air
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype, showing the wings folded back
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AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype, showing the wings folded back
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype, showing the wings folded out
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AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype, showing the wings folded out
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: wings fold out at the touch of a button when it's time to enter flight mode
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AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: wings fold out at the touch of a button when it's time to enter flight mode
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: interior seats reflect sports car attitude
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AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: interior seats reflect sports car attitude
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: don't expect to jump in and have any idea what's going on with the dash unless you're an experienced pilot
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AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: don't expect to jump in and have any idea what's going on with the dash unless you're an experienced pilot
View gallery - 7 images

Slovakian flying car company AeroMobil is ready for liftoff, with the announcement that it's going to launch a production-ready, road-registrable aircraft in a week's time. The new flying car, which will debut at Top Marques in Monaco on April 20, will be available for pre-order this year.

Whether this news sends you into fits of excitement or not will likely depend on what you really want from your flying car. If it's vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Jetsons-style commuting, that's not what the AeroMobil delivers.

But if it's a vehicle that you can drive from your home to an airstrip, cover some bulk miles in the air, then land on another airstrip and drive to your final destination, this thing is designed to meet both road and aircraft regulations and should do the job nicely.

Extending wheel arches give the new AeroMobil a wider wheel track on the road and a superior aerodynamic profile in the air
Extending wheel arches give the new AeroMobil a wider wheel track on the road and a superior aerodynamic profile in the air

On the road, it's a futuristic looking two-seater, with its broad wings folded back against the tail. From the looks of the new renders, it seems it'll operate as a semi open wheeler on the ground, with wheel arches that extend out sideways in car mode for a wider wheelbase, then retract for better aerodynamics in the air.

If the AeroMobil 3.0 prototype is anything to go by, the interior will be absolutely stuffed to the gills with flight gauges and dials, looking much more like a cockpit than a dash.

AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: don't expect to jump in and have any idea what's going on with the dash unless you're an experienced pilot
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: don't expect to jump in and have any idea what's going on with the dash unless you're an experienced pilot

Arriving at an airstrip, the Aeromobil converts to flight mode at the touch of a button, with the wings folding out and power being redirected from the front wheels back to the pusher prop.

As a roadster or an airplane, it's a tale of compromise. But as one of very few roadable aircraft you can actually buy, it looks like a pretty tight solution. And unlike many of the others, it looks so damn cool that it'll draw more eyeballs on the road than a Lamborghini. That alone may make it worth the "several hundred thousand Euro" price tag for some buyers.

AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: wings fold out at the touch of a button when it's time to enter flight mode
AeroMobil's 3.0 prototype: wings fold out at the touch of a button when it's time to enter flight mode

You will need a pilot's license to fly this thing. Either a Sport Pilot license at a minimum, or a Private Pilot License as Aeromobil recommends.

We look forward to learning more – including the price – from the official launch on the 20th.

Source: AeroMobil

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AircraftFlying CarsAeroMobil
17 comments
Loz Blain
Loz Blain
Loz leads the New Atlas team as Editorial Director, after nearly two decades as one of our most versatile writers. He's also proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer. A graduate in Psychology, former business analyst and touring musician, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on clean energy, AI, humanoid robotics, next-gen aircraft, and the odd bit of music, motorcycles and automotive.

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17 comments
MattII
At least with the Taylor Aerocar you could remove the wings and tail, and just drive around in the cabin. A vehicle the size of a twin-cab ute that can only take two people isn't going to work very well in a city. Also, there's the issue of getting a pilots licence (expensive and time-consuming), and the fact that you'd have to give it a pre-flight check before every flight, just like with a traditional light aircraft.
Really, it's a gimick and no more.
Buellrider
This car/plane is pretty darned nice but probably the only people that would actually buy one would do so only to show off how much money they have to burn. Where would you be able to drive this thing? Where could you park it? How could you trust that no one would sabotage it while it was parked somewhere? What would car/plane insurance cost on this thing? I really can't see anyone ponying up for something like this. A person that has the money for this would just buy a nice plane and rent a nice car at there destination. Nice design exercise but that is all.
Buellrider
I can imagine that someone having this aerocar would just take off from an empty road wherever they might be. Cops chasing you, no problem, just take off into the air and watch their jaws drop. They should make this thing so it can go underwater like a submarine. Air/land/sea for the U.S.Marines or perfect for James Bond.
Bob
I have never seen the attraction for this sort of flying car. It is nothing but a poorly performing airplane crossed with a poorly performing car.
Joe123
To my fellow readers, please be very careful with stories like this. There are thousands of people that put down payment money on stuff like this only to find out the company can't produce what it promised. The EAA is littered with their own members duped into projects like this. Google Jim Bede, or Icon, or Terrifuga, or the hundreds of aircraft companies that take deposits and leave you with nothing. If you do decide to buy something like this, place your deposit with a bank in a refundable escrow account. If your project goes down the tubes and shatters your dreams, at least you will get your money back. Join EAA and get an education first. These kind of planes make poor cars and poor airplanes! If this is an ego driven purchase, oh well! Just remember, for the price you have invested with this, you can have a motorhome, a boat, a super car, a motorcycle, and a hell of a lot of money left over! Be very careful when dealing with companies like this.
Bruce H. Anderson
No private aircraft, regardless of configuration, is made for regular guys like me. But, if I lived among the well-heeled out by the lake, and knowing that both a municipal airport and and a private airstrip were less than 10 miles away, then this becomes an option. I could fly to any number of places within range, and land at a municipal airport (there are lots of them) where they have fuel AND rental cars. Obviously a niche market, but really cool.
Paul Anthony
MattII, wow a gimmick you say? This looks like a solution to an existing problem. The problem being affordable ownership. The cost of three vehicles (1-drive to airport, 2-fly to another airport, 3-drive to work) And then the payment monthly of the storage of the 2 vehicles. Of course you should do a walk around of any vehicle before driving. I have an engineer/pilot friend who commuted with three vehicles for years. His route would have been 1.5 hours with no traffic and as much as 2.5 with (usually it was with since it was rush hour) he was able to shave that down to under an hour using three vehicles. He would have saved even more time not having to transfer. Plus he got the thrill of a flight daily.
CzechsterMarek
I want to see this thing land in a major crosswind. That will interesting to watch.
Douglas Bennett Rogers
This would be very good for travelling between small towns that are about a thousand miles apart. It replaces long term parking, a expensive/unreliable cab, an expensive/unreliable regional carrier, and being bumped at connections.
ezeflyer
Where do you park flying cars to prevent dings that make them unsafe to fly?
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