They can test the first real flying car on European roads

The Liberty, a vehicle developed by the Dutch PAL-V, is planned to help the owner avoid having to squat in a traffic jam. For many decades, engineers have been working to build an amphibian vehicle that we can use on both roads and in the air. The design and construction of a flying car also poses a serious challenge to professionals, as very different aspects have to be taken into account for the two modes of transport.

A Dutch company called PAL-V says its engineers have been able to find a solution to the above problem in recent years. As a result, a vehicle called PAL-V Liberty was born, which the public could already see at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019. They have recently achieved another important milestone: they have been granted permission to test a flying car on the road within the European Union.

The PAL-V Liberty is basically a three-wheeled car that can be converted into a gyrocopter in 3-5 minutes of operation. This means that the thrust needed to fly is provided by the rotor at the back of the car. Because of this, although it is able to float, it cannot take off and land vertically. The former requires a runway of at least 180 meters and the latter a runway of at least 30 meters.

All of this is also important to know because although the vehicle is expected, the occupant will not have to cram into the traffic jam if the car is actually congested, it will not be able to fly out of it.

According to PAL-V, the final speed of the structure will be 160 km / h on the roads and 180 km / h in the air. With an average helicopter, you can cover roughly 260 km in one hour.

For now, Liberty has only been licensed for road testing. Even if you meet the expectations there, there will still be quite a few questions that need to be answered, such as how high the structure will be able to fly, what permits are required to use it. The development of the PAL-V would otherwise be able to travel at altitudes of up to 3,500 meters.

The company has already started the licensing process at the European Aviation Safety Agency in 2015, which is expected to be completed by 2022. If everything is found to be in order, the structure will be able to be put on the market, for which they will be able to ask customers for $ 599,000. There will also be a slightly cheaper version later, which will cost $ 399,000.