A prototype flying car has moved a step closer to production after completing a 35-minute flight between two Slovakian cities.
AirCar, as it is called, is a hybrid vehicle that can transform from sports car to aircraft in three minutes.
On Monday, it flew from an international airport in the city of Nitra to another in Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital.
The vehicle’s inventor, Professor Stefan Klein, drove the vehicle off the runway and into town after it touched down. He said the flight has sparked “a new era of dual transportation vehicles”.
The company behind AirCar, Klein Vision, said the invention is equipped with a 160hp BMW engine and has a maximum cruising speed of 190km/h (118mph).
It has completed over 40 hours of test flights and has flown at 8200ft.
Two people can fit in an AirCar, so long as they have a combined weight of no more than 200kg (31 stones).
Two years ago, consultant company Morgan Stanley predicted that the flying car industry will be worth $15 trillion by 2040. It said investment in the sector has implications for the future of passenger travel, defense applications, and the transportation of consumer goods.
Meanwhile, Klein Vision said Monday’s test flight turns “science fiction into a reality”.
“With Aircar you will arrive at your destination without the hassle of getting a ride to the airport and passing through commercial security.
“You can drive your AirCar to the golf course, the office, the mall or your hotel and park it in a normal parking space,” said Anton Zajac, Klein Vision’s co-founder.
