Airport or car park?

Science-fiction fans can now take a deep breath – and then unpack the wings. In Slovakia, a car which until now could only be admired on the big screen is literally taking off. The futuristic vehicle called “AirCar“, bears aviation registration OM-KLZ and has received official approval from the Slovak civil aviation authority. By Sigrid Riewe-Scholz

The AirCar was made by Klein Vision, a brave start-up from Nitra in southwestern Slovakia. Back in June 2021, the prototype took off on test flights towards Bratislava. Now it is official: the car may conquer the skies as well as the roads.

70 flight hours, 200 take-offs and landings – and a little bit of magic

To obtain approval, the AirCar had to clock up more than many a car driver in a lifetime: namely around 70 flight hours and 200 take-offs and landings. The result: a vehicle which behaves like a normal car on the road – and transforms into a flying marvel within three minutes. A superpower which has already caused jaws to drop and mobile phone cameras to be whipped out at trade fairs.

What is Klein Vision’s vision? One day AirCars are to fly commercially between cities like Paris and London. All you need is a driving licence for the road and a pilot’s licence for flight mode  –  after all, you don’t want to end up in a futuristic traffic jam … at an altitude of 2,500 metres.

A cinematic intercity flight

AirCar’s first long-distance maiden flight was between Nitra international airport and Bratislava – and lasted 35 minutes. On this flight,  the vehicle that it doesn’t do things by halves: with a BMW engine under the bonnet, 160 PS, propeller drive and even a ballistic parachute for extra safety, it mastered flights at a 45° angle.

Prototype 1 was also quite impressive, but the show really takes off with prototype 2: a whopping 300 hp, up to 300 km/h, range 1,000 kilometres – and after landing turns into a car again in less than three minutes. Perfect for a spontaneous commute between meeting and airfield.

Road traffic or airspace? Why not both!

The AirCar is quasi the Slovak answer to both James Bond and Doc Brown: a vehicle which does not have to decide whether it prefers asphalt or clouds. With official approval secured, the journey now begins towards series production – and who knows, maybe we will soon be parking our cars on small private airfields instead of in underground carparks.