Automotive

Version 3.0 of Aeromobil flying car unveiled

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The AeroMobil 3.0 flying car prototype has been unveiled
The AeroMobil 3.0 flying car prototype has been unveiled
The AeroMobil 3.0 was designed by AeroMobil company co-founders Stefan Klein and Juraj Vaculik
The AeroMobil 3.0 is described as being about the size of a limousine or a large luxury sedan
The AeroMobil 3.0 control panel
The interior of the AeroMobil 3.0
The AeroMobil 3.0 during its first flight
The AeroMobil 3.0 during its first flight
The AeroMobil 3.0 during the take-off of its first flight
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It may still sound like the stuff of science fiction, but the AeroMobil flying car is close to a final design. The AeroMobil 3.0 prototype was premiered today at the Pioneers Festival in Vienna. The roadster-cum-light-aircraft is being tested to refine final performance and features.

The AeroMobil first took to the skies last year as version 2.5. According to the company, the new version was developed and built in the 10 months after the release of version 2.5 and is "very close to the final product."

“I’m very happy with what we were able to achieve in such a short time with the team of only 12 people," says AeroMobil co-founder and CTO Stefan Klein. "AeroMobil 3.0 is not the end of a challenging project, it’s the beginning of a whole new adventure which may change the way how we look at the personal transport in the future."

The AeroMobil 3.0 during its first flight

The new prototype was designed by Klein and the company's other co-founder Juraj Vaculik. It is built from predominantly the same materials as will be used for the final product and has all of the main features that will be present. These include avionics equipment, autopilot and an advanced parachute deployment system.

AeroMobil compares the vehicle to a limousine or a large luxury sedan in terms of size, saying it can be parked in regular city parking spaces. It has sturdy suspension that allows it to take off and land on rough terrain and variable-angle wings that shorten take-off distance and improve efficiency. It is also said to have a low cost of maintenance, and runs on standard gasoline.

The AeroMobil 3.0 is described as being about the size of a limousine or a large luxury sedan

The primary use for the AeroMobil 3.0 is to test and improve its final performance, feature-set and characteristics. It has been tested in real flight conditions since this October and has entered a regular flight-testing program. In addition to having already been certified by the Slovak Federation of Ultra-Light Flying, the AeroMobil 3.0 has been designed so that it would achieve certification in the EU as both a car and a light sport aircraft.

The video below shows the AeroMobil 3.0 in use.

Source: AeroMobil

View gallery - 8 images
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22 comments
Bill Bennett
Here in the USA I call driving DWTS, no not Dancing With The Stars, Driving With The Stupids, I shudder to think they could be airborne, BAD IDEA. They would be landing on a house near you.
MattII
And it's still bigger than some F-series 12th generations, yet has a piddly 2 seats, and virtually no luggage space.
Facebook User
Flying cars or drivable planes just don't look nice in either mode although I would say this is the best of the bunch so far. A bit of commentary accompanying the video would have been nice, and some detail re take off and landing speeds, cruise and max speeds, fuel usage/endurance, MAUW and so on. Ah well, we shall see...
James Smith
I agree, some specs would be nice.
On the dreaming side, what if the wings could be partially swept back in flight for a high speed mode? It worked well for the F-14 and the B-1.
Noel K Frothingham
Given that it is designed to use automotive grade gasoline, what would it operating ceiling be?
Solomookie
That's pretty cool, but how would it ever pass car safety tests such as the front bumper impact test when it doesn't appear to have a bumper? Still, the look on other people's faces would be priceless as you tool down the road in this thing.
I smiled at the statement that it is certified by "the Slovak Federation of Ultra-Light Flying". Sounds like something along the lines of Dilbert's Elbonia connection...
Noel K Frothingham
James Smith, the two aircraft to which you refer use high speed designs that are a compromise between lift and aerodynamic efficiency. At the low speeds the convert-a-cars will operate, lift is more important. and fixed wings Swept wings and their operating machinery are heavier and more complex giving fixed wings the advantage in general aviation.
Robert Flieger
I prefer the Pal-V One. http://pal-v.com/the-pal-v-one/
Paulinator
This is utterly impressive. Orville, Wilbur and Henry (Ford) would be pleased.
Johnny Bramton
I like the technology but fear the consequences. We have so many nuts on the roads - imagine in the air too. *shudder*