Last year, the Slovak company AeroMobil from Slovakia presented the third generation of its flying car, called The model is currently being tested in real flight conditions.
It only takes a new car a few seconds to go from car to plane and back again. The length of the model is 6 meters, and the width is 2.24 meters in the form of a car and 8.32 meters with spread wings.
AeroMobil 3.0 is made of composite materials, equipped with avionics, a parachute introduction system and an autopilot. Thanks to the variable angle of inclination of the wings, the novelty can take off into the air after just "several hundred meters" of acceleration along the runway.
The powerful suspension allows the AeroMobil 3.0 to accelerate and land even on uneven surfaces.
A prototype flying car was tested on the road and in the air in the fall of 2014. The model is built on a steel frame and uses a carbon fiber body with folding wings. According to official information from the manufacturer, the AeroMobil is equipped with a Rotax 912 engine, which provides the model with a take-off speed of 130 kilometers per hour, flight speed up to more than 200 kilometers per hour and road speed up to 160 kilometers per hour.
In the air, the model consumes 15 liters of fuel per hour and can fly up to 700 kilometers. The fuel consumption of the car on the highway is 8 liters per hundred kilometers, and the maximum cruising range is 900 kilometers.
The company AeroMobil is going to bring to the market a serial version of its invention in two years, Za rulem.RF reports. The air car will be released in 2017 in both two- and four-seater versions. The estimated cost of the model is several hundred thousand euros. To operate the machine, you will need more than just driver's license but also a pilot's license.
The target audience of the novelty is supercar buyers who want to have an “expensive hobby”. The company is also considering the possibility of launching an air taxi service.
The AeroMobil flying vehicle requires an airport runway or prepared turf for take-off and landing. Grass strips can be arranged along the highway and near gas stations.
Flying cars are one of the coolest products in science fiction, and today people are closer than ever before to making this idea a reality. At the moment, the developers of many companies, both large automakers and small startups, are working on creating a working model. This roundup is designed by dreamer engineers who want to take cars to the skies.
1. Kevin Colburn - Terrafugia
The flying car that can be reserved now (slated for mass production in 2019) is the Terrafugia Transition. Chief Executive Officer and Vice President Kevin Colburn says the vehicle is faster than a regular car and more comfortable than an airplane.
The company also plans to release the incredibly futuristic TF-X model. The TF-X has a cruising speed of 321.8 km / h and does not require a runway due to vertical takeoff and landing. But this model will have to wait until at least 2025.
2. Douglas McAndrew - Aeromobil
This is car? This is a plane? In fact, this is both. Aeromobil was made in Slovakia several years ago, but its development only reached a new level last year, when the company hired Douglas McAndrew as CTO. A veteran engineer who has worked for Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW and other companies is now working to reduce the weight of the car and improve its aerodynamics.
Their latest project, Aeromobil 5.0, is expected to be ready for mass production in the next ten years. Also in 2020, a limited release of the 4.0 sports model is expected, equipped with a hybrid electric motor and capable of traveling 640 km on a single battery charge.
3. Paul DeLorean - DeLorean
Why go only where there are roads. If there is a company that seems like the perfect choice for a flying car, it's DeLorean. DeLorean Aerospace is headed by the CEO, nephew of John DeLorean, the man who gave humanity one of the most iconic cars in pop culture history.
The DeLorean DR-7 is powered by an electric motor and is expected to be fully autonomous, meaning the user does not need a pilot's license to fly it. The company plans to build a full-scale prototype this year.
4. Jim Tai - Kitty Hawk Cora
Kitty Hawk's Google-sponsored Cora launched its test flights earlier this year. under the direction of Chief Engineer Jim Ty, is almost set to become a safe and resilient flight taxi that rivals Uber and Airbus.
Cora is equipped with 12 propellers that allow vertical take-off and landing, and are fully electric and move independently of each other. The model can reach heights from 150 to 900 meters and has a maximum speed of 180 km / h.
5. Rodin Ljasoff - Airbus A³ Vahana
Vahana boasts one of the fastest transitions from initial idea to prototype construction of any aircraft reviewed today. Just two years after the idea was born, Vahana began test flights. The company's CEO and aerospace engineer Rodin Ljasoff even said mass production would begin as soon as possible.
The project intends to be the first fully electric autonomous aircraft, and in fact it will be really cool. The model differs from many competitors in that it uses sensors to ensure the safety of passengers and ensure smooth flight.
6.Robert Dingmans - PAL-V Liberty
Dutch company PAL-V announced in March this year that their Liberty will hit the market in 2019. This would make the Liberty the first commercial aircraft, and according to CEO Robert Dingmans, the company is just waiting for the final required certifications to make the vehicle ready for sale.
The Liberty has two engines - one for driving and one for flying. It boasts a top speed of 160 km / h on the ground and 180 km / h in the air. Pre-orders will begin in 2019 with an estimated cost of $ 400,000.
7. Dara Khosrowshahi - UberAIR
Uber became very serious about getting cars in the skies ... so much so that it teamed up with NASA engineers and even hosted a flying car summit. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi believes flying cars will become commonplace over the next decade and hopes to have a flying taxi by 2020.
Most of the project is the development of an automated control system air traffic, which will allow in the near future to ensure safe flights of all types of aircraft. The first test sites for UberAIR are Dallas, Texas, Dubai and possibly Los Angeles.
8. Patrick Naten - Lilium Jet
German startup Lilium has announced its ambitious aircraft project. The Lilium jet is supposed to be autonomous, capable of carrying up to five people, and can be called up using a smartphone app.
Startup co-founder Patrick Naten hopes the jet will revolutionize public transportation. The estimated date for mass production is 2025. Besides being a promising new aerial form public transport The Lilium jet will also be fully electric and is the only electric aircraft capable of jet-powered flight.
9. Tsubasa Nakamura - Toyota SkyDive
While Toyota SkyDive plans to open ceremonies for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the vehicle isn't just for entertainment purposes. Firstly, it is the smallest electric vehicle in the world, only 2.9 meters long and 1.9 meters wide.
The car is the brainchild of a group of Toyota employees led by Tsubasa Nakamura, who developed the car during their leisure time. The team hopes the car can reach a top speed of 150 km / h on the ground and 100 km / h in the air. Trials will begin this year, and mass production of the car is expected in 2030.
10. Daniel Hayes - VRCO NeoXCraft
At the end of last year, the British company VRCO announced plans to create an aircraft that could be used not only on the road and in the air, but also on the water. CEO and co-founder Daniel Hayes expects the cars to be ready for mass production by 2020.
One of the features that sets NeoXCraft apart from the competition is its innovative design. Its turbofan propellers can be used not only for flying in the air, but also used as wheels on the ground. The device is already available for pre-order and will cost just over $ 2 million.
11. JoBen Bevirt - Joby Aviation
Earlier this year, startup Joby Aviation stood out as the next contender for the flying taxi when it raised $ 100 million in funding. Although it seems to many that the startup just came out of nowhere overnight, it was founded by JoBen Bevirt back in 2009 and development has been going on all this time.
Bevirt's goal is to create clean, affordable public transport that will eliminate the need to build and maintain expensive infrastructure such as roads and bridges. While there is still very little information about the project, it is known that the vehicle can allegedly carry up to four passengers and has already successfully completed a 15-minute test run.
12. Shawzi Hu - EHang
The EHang unmanned aerial taxi gained a lot of media attention only last month when it was successfully flown by Dutch Prince Peter Christian in Amsterdam. It came a few months after EHang CEO Shawzi Hu took a ride in an airplane car, showing how much he believes in his safety. In fact, the vehicle is so safe that Dubai is pursuing the idea of introducing it as a public transport in the near future.
The EHang (or EHang 184, to be precise) is powered by 100% green electricity, and features a crash-free system that forces the flying car to find the nearest safe landing pad should any component fail. The take-off and landing site is digitally pre-configured for a smooth, fully autonomous flight.
13. Bruce Bent - Astro Aerospace
It's already been a busy month for Astro Aerospace - in May, the company acquired a startup vehicle with vertical takeoff and landing Passenger Drone and brought drone expert Paul Beard into the development. Astro CEO Bruce Bent is clearly preparing for big things and expects Astro Passenger Drone to become a reality soon.
The working prototype has a carbon fiber shell and 16 independent rotors to support flight. The cockpit houses a touch control system that allows pilots to fly manually or switch to autonomous mode. While there is no expected release date yet, Astro hopes their flying car will be used in a variety of industries from agriculture to military.
Dreams Come True. The day has come when cars are ready to take off the ground and take to the sky. Dutch designers showed the first production model of a flying machine. What it is like and what opportunities it provides to drivers - in this review.
People have long dreamed of crossing a car and an airplane. The first attempts date back to 1917. It was then that the American designer Glenn Curtis tried to create an airplane that could not only fly, but also ride comfortably on the roads.
Have made similar attempts and engineers Soviet Union who wanted to make a flying tank. But all these attempts failed. Technology has made great strides in recent decades, and perhaps now is the time when cars can finally spread their wings.
An ambitious dream has come true in a new flying car called Liberty. It was developed by the well-known Dutch company PAL-V. Surely many have already heard about it, because it was the designers of this company who set out to create a flying machine several years ago.
After 10 years of work on achieving its goal, the PAL-V company shows a car, which, according to the developers, is not "another promising model" at all, but a real production model. The car from the first batch will cost 600 thousand dollars and another 25 for the right to receive it among the first.
Together with the car itself, the company promises 10 lessons on driving it, and anywhere in the world! Another option for getting a car is to pay only 10 thousand dollars, but wait for the second series. And yes, you will have to pay all the same 600 thousand for the car itself.
As for technical characteristics, then here the Liberty boasts a 100-horsepower engine that allows it to accelerate to 160 km / h on the ground. The car accelerates to 100 km / h in 9 seconds. Some experts are worried about the aerodynamics of the car, expressing the opinion that at speeds above a hundred, the car will start to shake. For flights, Liberty uses a different, 200-horsepower engine. The manufacturer claims that the car can fly 400-500 km.
However, don't expect the Liberty to take to the skies whenever the driver needs it. Mode change takes 5-10 minutes. Also, you can't take off anywhere. To do this, you need a solid strip with a length of at least 180 meters for only one lift from the ground.
It is also worth considering that most legislation will require the Liberty to take off and land only in specially designated places. And of course, a flight license is required to fly such a hybrid.
And recently the Russian concern "Kalashnikov" declassified. It's worth seeing.
The Liberty is a pretty interesting design that allows it to go from tricycle to gyroplane. It takes ten minutes to prepare an air car for flight from the "road" mode, and one person can cope with this. The main rotor on the roof unfolds automatically, while the rear rotor blades must be folded out manually. A gyroplane needs 90 to 200 meters to take off.
The Svoboda gasoline engine develops 100 Horse power, thanks to which the three-wheeled car accelerates from standstill to 100 km / h in just nine seconds, according to the Dutch. Maximum speed Liberty is 160 km / h, and the average fuel consumption in "road" mode - 7.6 liters per 100 kilometers. The maximum speed in the air is 180 km / h, the flight altitude is 3500 meters.
The flight range of an aeromobile with a driver and a passenger is 399 kilometers, with only one driver - 499 km. The recommended cruising speed is from 140 to 160 km / h. The maximum takeoff weight of the Liberty is 910 kilograms. The company expects to sell 90 copies of the flying car in the maximum configuration Pioneer Edition at a price of 499 thousand euros. Prepayment for order fulfillment is 25 thousand.
Then a more affordable version of the Liberty Sport will go on sale, which is estimated at 299 thousand euros, and the prepayment will be 10 thousand. Pioneer Edition cars will receive a flying car number plate. Buyers will be able to use the services of PAL-V instructors to teach gyroplane piloting and obtain a pilot's license. The first "Svoboda" clients will receive in 2018.
Already in 2020, at Expo 2020 in Dubai, safe flying machines and a plan for their use will be presented around the world. Test flights will begin then, ”says Ilya Khanykov, business advisor to the McFly.Aero project. “This industry is at the intersection of smart cities and aircraft technology.
Already in 2020, at Expo 2020 in Dubai, safe flying machines and a plan for their use will be presented around the world.
Flying cars were a fantasy during the release of Back to the Future. This is already 1985. Director Robert Zemeckis imagined that in many years all motorists would be moving through the air.
Now this is no longer a fantasy, but a plan, a concrete future that should come in the coming years. Even in Russia. All technologies lead exactly to this.
Russian project McFly.Aero(in tune with the name of the hero "Back to the Future" Marty McFly) is already designing his own model - an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which is preparing to carry passengers.
The plan is global: to prepare the infrastructure and massively introduce air taxi in cities around the world. The startup participants are several aircraft developers, including Bartini, whose director and co-founder is Ilya Khanykov.
Dozens of aeromobile concepts have been created
More than 30 companies around the world are actively developing solutions for air taxi systems. These include both large corporations, such as Boeing and Airbus, and startups.
As in many other industries, modern technology is lowering the barriers to entry for new product developers. Faster and cheaper possibilities for prototyping aircraft appeared, new composite materials, power supplies, and the computing power of flight controllers increased.
Humanity has long strived for vertical takeoff, landing and low altitude air travel.
Dozens of air taxi concepts and models have already been created. Someone makes small helicopters, someone - large quadcopters and convertiplanes. All use distributed electrical propulsion, which is at the heart of this new technological revolution in air travel.
Humanity has long been striving for vertical take-off, landing and movement through the air at low altitude, explains Ilya Khanykov. - Development was carried out for a long time, but using electric motors the process went faster. Yes, there are helicopters, but they are cumbersome, expensive, noisy and unsafe.
We are developing our own model, as well as preparing the necessary conditions - we are trying to integrate various systems and existing solutions for the introduction of any such devices into the urban environment.
Bartini model - could become a "flying Tesla"
The development of the Russian air taxi is headed by Vladimir Salatov, an engineer with a rich aviation background. In 2015, he decided to build his own aircraft, found a team, and began developing a prototype for the Bartini. It sounds elegant in Italian, but it was named after the Soviet aircraft designer Robert Bartini, the teacher of Sergei Korolev.
A year ago, Bartini presented a virtual model of the aircraft at the International Aviation and Space Show. Now they are assembling their prototype at the MISiS laboratory and conducting test flights.
Bartini looks like an expensive Tesla, only without wheels. Or an alien ship.
Electric vertical take-off and landing apparatus, which in final version must cover 150 km, reach a speed of 300 kilometers per hour... And the battery will have to keep charging for at least 30 minutes.
The prime cost of the test model is rather big. It already costs the same as a brand new BMW X6 - around 5 million rubles.
Bartini is actively seeking investors. Skolkovo helped a lot to launch the startup, the laboratory and equipment for development were provided by MISiS.
The challenge now is to show that the idea works and test all possible technologies in search of the best one. Also check aerodynamics, strength and control systems.
The next prototype will allow transporting first two, later four people.
So far, we have assembled a demonstrator model, - explains Vladimir Salatov. - The more models from different companies will be created, the better. Airplanes and cars appeared in exactly the same way - everyone offered their own designs, and in the end there were those that most optimally served a particular use case. Judging by how technologies are developing, the world will test air taxi very soon, in two years at the most, ”says Vladimir.
Change name for an idea
The McFly idea captivates employees. Nikolay Bezhko, a community manager who is involved in useful contacts and promotion of the philosophy of flying transport, has changed his name. Now, according to his passport, he is Nick McFly.
We have a device, and we decide where it will fly. Now we are looking for people all over the world who will like our idea.
We have a device, and we decide where it will fly. Now we are looking for people around the world who will like our idea, says Nick. - Anyone can become a member of the community, even just by liking our posts on Facebook.
McFly uses blockchain technology successfully. The main tool is a token. It can be obtained for cryptocurrency, or for efforts for the common good - the early appearance of an urban air taxi.
Community members reward each other with tokens for useful actions anywhere in the world. In addition, the token is part of an evolving technology - it will be used to register future flights in the system and settle for them.
One of the most active members of our community is an aviation expert from India, says Nick McFly. - He found information about us on the Internet and contacted us. He was interested in our development, and he, as a person with extensive experience in aviation, introduces us to experts, helps them build business in this new future market. For example, he put us in touch with the owner of a helicopter taxi service, who shares the secrets of this business.
Air taxis may appear in 4 countries
The possibility of introducing air taxi is being discussed with representatives of India, Russia, Mexico and Indonesia. Who supports the idea in Moscow is still a secret.
The ideal member of our community is an aviation expert who understands that flying cars will not be in 20 years, but just about. With him, you can discuss how to create and scale urban aviation. Among our advisors, for example, is the former chief architect of Barcelona, and now the head of the architectural research laboratory, explains Nick.
What needs to be done to launch air taxis in cities?
- Agree with cities;
- Equip takeoff and landing sites;
- Arrange places for recharging batteries;
- Find pilots;
- Offer your services to passengers at an affordable cost.
Are air taxis allowed in cities?
One of the main issues before the introduction of a new type of public transport is amendments to the legislation of different countries.
In the United States, they are discussing the issues of the height of buildings, the permissible noise level during the day and at night, and other requirements that will ultimately be presented to the devices during their certification. Officially, she's not there yet.
So far, the question is about what type of aircraft the air taxi will belong to - helicopters, airplanes, quadrocopters. Or something new will be invented.
We want our community to be as locally autonomous as possible. Local people will have to independently organize business in a particular city.
McFly.Aero is trying to speed up the process as much as possible by developing a mass urban aviation system in which the passenger can choose from the widest possible variety of aircraft.
We want our community to be as locally autonomous as possible. People on the ground will have to independently organize business in a particular city, explains Nick McFly. - We are developing a kind of manual, a guide for the organizer of the community. It will help even those with no entrepreneurial experience.
After the city agrees to implement the idea and there are several sites for takeoff and landing, it will be possible to start air traffic in a year, according to McFly.Aero.
AND bad roads will not be afraid.
