Flying car concept off the ground
Dutch company Pal-V is now accepting pre-orders for their first certified commercial flying carThanks to the Dutch, we have the microscope, Olympic flame, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Edam. And now we can thank them for getting the concept of flying cars off the ground.
Pal-V is now taking pre-orders for their Liberty gyrocopter, claimed to be “the first certified commercial flying car ever”. It’s essentially a three-wheeled ‘car’ with a Rotax engine and dual-propulsion drivetrain; meaning it drives and flies with the added benefit of lowered suspension. The two-person cockpit can also tilt, so the driver can lean into the curves of the road. And according to PAL-V, it takes 5-10 minutes to convert the car from drive to fly mode.
This comes off the back of many successful test flights and efforts to meet European and US road and aviation standards: "After years of hard work, beating the technical and qualification challenges, our team succeeded in creating an innovative flying car that complies with existing safety standards determined by regulatory bodies around the world," said Robert Dingemanse, CEO of PAL-V.
There are two versions of the Liberty on offer. The base model begins at $US400,000 before tax. And if you’d like to personalise the exterior and interior and add flight instruction sessions, you’ll pay around $600,000 for the Pioneer edition.
As for the specs, PAL-V says the Liberty's 100hp engine gives a top speed of 160km/h in drive mode, and fuel economy is rated at 7.6 l/100 km. When airborne, it gives a maximum speed of 180km/h and a high cruise speed of 160km/h.
PAL-V says the noise in flight will be similar to a small fixed wing aeroplane and “much less” than a helicopter.
PAL-V is flexible with payment options and will ask for either a non-refundable deposit of $25,000 for the Pioneer or $10,000 for the base model.
Lastly, you’ll need both a driving licence and a pilot’s licence to reach the skies and feel the stuff of dreams.
Could the Liberty just be a fly-by-night operation or will it go the distance? Only time will tell.
Related reading:
>> Terrafugia flying car
>> Toyota flying car
>> Google's secret flying car
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