AirCar receives certificate of airworthiness

To achieve certification the dual-mode vehicle completed over 200 take-offs and landings and conducted the full range of flight and performance manoeuvres. Klein Vision said take-off and landing procedures were achieved without the pilot’s need to touch the flight controls. 

“AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars. It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever,” said AirCar inventor and test pilot Professor Stefan Klein.

Powered by 1.6l BMW engine, the 1000kg two-seat dual-mode prototype was brought to life by a team of eight and over 100,000 working hours to convert design drawings into mathematical models with CFD analysis, followed by wind tunnel testing and the build of full-scale design prototype powered by an electric 15kW engine.

“Transportation Authority carefully monitored all stages of unique AirCar development from its start in 2017,” said René Molnár, director of the Civil Aviation Division of Slovakia’s transport authority. "AirCar combines top innovations with safety measures in line with European Aviation Safety Agency standards. It defines a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft. Its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task.”

Klein Vision added that it has completed tests of a new, lightweight ADEPT Airmotive aviation engine and the design of an upcoming monocoque model with variable pitch propeller which is expected to reach speeds of over 300km/h and have a range of 1,000km.

“Klein Vision’s AirCar is an engineering marvel, and we look forward our long-term cooperation,” said Raymond Bakker, ADEPT technical director.

The new production model is expected to be certified in 12 months.

“50 years ago, the car was the epitome of freedom,” said Anton Zajac, the project co-founder. “AirCar expands those frontiers, by taking us into the next dimension; where road meets sky.”