Following its first successful inter-city flight in June of last year, Klein Vision‘s AirCar, its road-legal car-aircraft vehicle, has now received the official Certificate of Airworthiness from the Slovak Transport Authority.
The AirCar withstood rigorous testing including 200 takeoffs and landings and 70 hours of cross-country flight tests which examined the vehicle’s full range of flight and performance maneuvers. Impressively, takeoff and landing procedures can be achieved without the pilot’s need to touch any flight controls.
“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, the inventor, leader of the development team, and test pilot.
The current flight-tested prototype is equipped with a BMW 1.6L petrol engine, and its upcoming model will see the arrival of a larger 300 bhp engine capable of flying up to 600 miles in one journey at a cruising speed of around 186 mph.
“Transportation Authority carefully monitored all stages of unique AirCar development from its start in 2017. Transportation safety is our highest priority. AirCar combines top innovations with safety measures in line with EASA standards. It defines a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft. Its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task,” said René Molnár, director of the Civil Aviation Division (Transport Authority of Slovakia).
Looking forward, the Klein Vision production models are expected to be certified within the next 12 months. Take a look at the AirCar showcase video above, and head over to the Klein Vision website for more information.
In other news, watch the Lucid Air Dream drag race Tesla’s Model S.
wazup.