When it comes to flying cars, there have been many such prototypes that have been showcased across the globe, but they seldom get off the ground. However, with Klein Vision and their AirCar project, the story is quite different. The company first demonstrated that they had a flying car a few years ago, and now with an updated version, namely the V5, the company has achieved a crucial milestone by securing the Certificate of Airworthiness from the Slovak Transport Authority and it is expected to clear the European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification process as well! Incidentally, to achieve the Slovak Transport Authority certificate, the AirCar V5 had to do over 70 hours of flight time, various aerobatic maneuvers and over 200 safe landings and take-offs.
As far as the car is concerned, it looks like a sports car that has sprouted wings! The sleek machine is aerodynamically kitted out for flight time as well and it takes just three minutes to convert from road-going machine to a small private aircraft. Powering the AirCar V5 is a 300 PS BMW engine and it needs a little under 1,000 feet of runway to take off. With the BMW engine, the AirCar V5 can carry two passengers and a 450-pound cargo for over 600 miles!
Keeping in mind the fact that it will attract fliers of all skill levels, Klein Vision has equipped it with a series of safety features and made it extremely stable in flight. Under test conditions, it has reached at altitude up to 8,200 feet, however the company claims that it can fly up to 18,000 feet, which is on par with what most turbo propeller planes achieve.
Klein Vision is working on various models that include a four-seater, an amphibious version and a long-range version. However, the certification is currently only for the two-seater that was tested recently.
As for the price, Klein Vision has not made any official statement on that front, but do not expect it to be cheap! The AirCar V5 will cost close to that of a small airplane and that puts it way above the league of regular high-end sports cars.
