They will soon be able to produce the Slovak flying car

  • Reading Time:4Minutes

A Slovak startup has built a two-seater, 140-horsepower, 1.6-liter BMW-powered car that can fly with a propeller drive. And not in any way you know: Klein Vision in Bratislava’s not-so-imaginative AirCar is said to have a range of 1,000 km. The startup announcement also gives the other parameters of the vehicle: its unladen weight is 1100 kg and it can carry a payload of 200 kg, for which it has to burn 18 liters of fuel per hour.

He also goes for an extreme car

It only takes 3 minutes to convert, and then, if you have approx. 300 m of free terrain (so far experimented on concrete, at the airport in Piestany), you can already climb up to split the sky at a maximum speed of 200 km / h.

Although the design of the AirCar is said to be futuristic, in this respect it doesn’t even come close to the Japanese SkyDrive’s rolling-and-flying vehicle that only resembles a trace, which, by the way, isn’t far from where AirCar is. The Slovaks have announced that they will be able to start production in as little as six months, as the vehicle has passed the necessary tests. The first model will get a 300 hp engine, and if you can believe the victory report of the startup, there are already buyers for it.

This is how a flying car changes from a flying car to a car: the rear sash of the car slides backwards, at which point the wings become free and open to two sides. From here, everything goes like airplanes, the car accelerates on the concrete and then rises off the ground. The landing is also done in a completely classic way: the plane puts down the rear wheels first, then the front ones, then stops.

By the way, the Kleins see the main advantage of their universal vehicle there as solving one of the problems of the connection between the airports far from the cities and the settlement, as it is not possible to park a small plane in the city center or take the car on a flight. While it is suspected that typical AirCar customers will have no problem paying for an airport taxi, a rented car, or a guarded parking lot, there is no doubt that such an “amphibian” will make short-distance travel much more flexible and comfortable. Anton Zajac, co-founder and investor of Klein Vision, also stressed that it is a means of transport that is an integral part of urban living: any urban destination can be reached from the office through the shopping center to the hotel, where it can fit in a normal parking space.

He worked in the automotive industry, flying is his hobby

One of the founders and main constructors of the startup, Stephan Klein, happily combines a commitment to cars and aviation. He has worked as an industrial designer for Audi, Volkswagen and BMW, and also teaches at Mackintosh University of the Arts in Glasgow. In addition, however, he is intensely preoccupied with flying, with more than 1,200 hours of piloting behind him (in the video above, he also drives the flying car).

Klein designed the first hybrid car-airplane model in 1989. This was followed seven years later by the Aeromobile II, which already had the option of switching between airplane and car mode with a conversion (e.g. removable wings). This concept was fulfilled by the current model. Klein Vision was founded in 2011 and made their first test flights in 2018 with their current vehicle.

AirCar can even be a commercial success, as it embodies a concept adapted to current traffic habits. But in its current state, it can only target wealthy motorists with a pilot’s license. however, there is also a concept that would open up short-distance transport with self-propelled aircraft to everyone. One example is a German air taxi startup called Volocopter, which recently began selling the first tickets for its flights. At the same time, the complexity of the project is well indicated by the fact that while there is no need to combine two modes of transport, the Germans still need 2-3 years to launch their commercial service.

More articles you may be interested in...

Drones News & Articles

The hydrogen-powered military drone is launched

Drones News & Articles

Delivery by drones in 2025

Picture this: you’re sipping your morning coffee, glancing out the window, when a faint buzz cuts through the air. A sleek, winged machine hovers above your backyard, drops a package with pinpoint accuracy, and zips off into the horizon. No delivery van, no traffic jams just a drone doing its...>>>...READ MORE

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Archer Aviation and Palantir Technologies unite to forge the AI-driven future of aviation

On March 13, 2025, a groundbreaking collaboration was unveiled in Santa Clara, California, as Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) and...>>>...READ MORE

Additional aircraft News & Articles

Bio-inspired drone technology: pioneering Mars exploration

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Joby and Virgin Atlantic announce groundbreaking partnership

News & Articles Points of interest

Artificial intelligence outperforms human pilots in simulated air combat

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming military technology, with significant advancements in autonomous combat systems...>>>...READ MORE

more

Flying Cars News & Articles

Will we have flying cars before fully self-driving cars ?

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

EHang: Record Growth and Breakthrough in Urban Air Mobility – A Detailed Analysis of 2024 Financial Results

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology platform company, reported exceptional financial and operational results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and fiscal year (FY) 2024. The company’s performance reflects significant progress in scaling production, securing regulatory approvals, and expanding...>>>...READ MORE

Drones News & Articles

Drones and artificial intelligence: a new era of agricultural decision-making

Picture this: a farmer steps out onto his porch at dawn, coffee in hand, and...>>>...READ MORE

more

Drones News & Articles

BYD and DJI create a car with a drone

BYD, in collaboration with drone industry leader DJI, has unveiled an innovative feature that integrates a drone directly into an electric vehicle, offering a new dimension of driving experience. This breakthrough technology, known as the Ling Yuan system, allows drivers and passengers to track their journey from the air, enhancing...>>>...READ MORE