Aircraft

AeroMobil flying car prototype crashes

AeroMobil flying car prototype crashes
The AeroMobil 3.0 in an earlier test flight (Photo: AeroMobil)
The AeroMobil 3.0 in an earlier test flight (Photo: AeroMobil)
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AeroMobil co-founders Stefan Klein (left) and Juraj Vaculik
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AeroMobil co-founders Stefan Klein (left) and Juraj Vaculik
The AeroMobil 3.0 in an earlier test flight (Photo: AeroMobil)
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The AeroMobil 3.0 in an earlier test flight (Photo: AeroMobil)

When you're developing something as complex and ambitious as a flying car, you've got to expect a few hiccups along the way – and Slovakia-based AeroMobil certainly experienced one last Friday, when its AeroMobil 3.0 prototype crash-landed.

According to a statement issued by the company, the aircraft was on a test flight in Slovakia on May 8th, when inventor and pilot Stefan Klein "encountered an unexpected situation" – according to some sources, this situation was in fact a tailspin. Klein responded by activating the vehicle's ballistic parachute system at an altitude of approximately 300 m (900 ft).

AeroMobil co-founders Stefan Klein (left) and Juraj Vaculik
AeroMobil co-founders Stefan Klein (left) and Juraj Vaculik

The company states that the parachute "proved itself fully functional and landed the entire vehicle without any injury to the pilot." The aircraft itself didn't fare quite so well, and will reportedly require the replacement of some damaged parts before further test flights can resume.

"In the process of developing new vehicles, especially in the prototype phase, the possibility and likelihood of an unexpected situation is a natural part of the testing program," says AeroMobil. "This is a learning period which allows us to detect and subsequently refine our design."

Source: AeroMobil via Popular Science

6 comments
6 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that car / plane is cool. I hope they don't stop developing this flying vehicle.
Nostromo47
Well, at least the good news is that the ballistic chute worked and saved the pilot's bacon! After all, major components DO need to be tested in the real world. It will be interesting to see if there are handling problems with the design in the air; and if there are, what it will take to correct them. The AeroMobil is still one of the slickest looking aerocars ever.
christopher
Hmmm. Suggests they used aesthetics (looks pretty) instead of CFD/aerodynamics (works) in their design. This incident might mean the end of them.
Stephen N Russell
Link test to real Time data for Flight Test Control & repeat test & or change design?? Test in Sim modelling.
ВладимирИванов
Mersi! It's very interesting! But's the vehicle some row... Where is the parachute for that flying vehicle? Not driver, but for only the car?! It's not so big, and other models all eqwipped them long ago! "One fly" = "One vehicle"?! So? I hope, that they do much developing "in aero-tube "! Do ballistic well! That car have a great future! Good luck!!!
MattII
The issue with this, as with all flying-cars is that it's mixing two wildly different vehicles, and as such ends up with the issues of both, and the strengths of neither.