The Slovak Transport Authority has issued the AirCar, a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle created by Slovakian company Klein Vision, with an official Certificate of Airworthiness, following the successful completion of 70 hours of rigorous flight testing compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
The flight tests covered the full range of flight and performance manoeuvres, including more than 200 take-offs and landings – achieved without the pilot needing need to touch the flight controls.
Powered by a 1.6-litre BMW engine, the 1,000 kilogram two-seat dual-mode prototype is the result of more than 100,000 man-hours carried out by a team of eight specialist engineers.
‘AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars,’ said Professor Stefan Klein, the Aircar’s inventor, leader of the development team and test pilot. ‘It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever.’
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‘Fifty years ago, the car was the epitome of freedom,’ said Anton Zajac, the project’s cofounder. ‘AirCar expands those frontiers by taking us into the next dimension – where road meets sky.
‘The Transport Authority has carefully monitored all stages of the AirCar’s development from its start in 2017,’ said René Molnár, director of the Civil Aviation Division of the Transport Authority of Slovakia. ‘Transportation safety is our highest priority. The 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.’