Soon you might witness a Dutch design flying car which will be the first of its kind. After years of testing, the PAL-V company is poised to start production on what they bill as the world first: a three-wheeled gyrocopter-type vehicle which can carry two people and will be certified for use on the roads and in the skies.
Chief Marketing Officer Markus Hess told AFP, “This kind of dream has been around for 100 years now. When the first aeroplane was invented people already thought ‘How can I make that driveable on the road?”
By the end of 2018, the PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) firm is aiming to deliver its first flying car to its first customer. The lucky owner will need both a driving licence and a pilot’s licence. But with the keys in hand, the owner will be able to drive to an airfield for the short take-off, and after landing elsewhere drive to the destination in a “door-to-door” experience.
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Different versions of a flying car are being developed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Japan, China and the United States. But final assembly on the PAL-V will start in October, with the company seeking to be the first to go into commercial production.
The PAL-V uses normal unleaded petrol for its two 100-horsepower engines and can fly 400 to 500 kilometres (248 to 310 miles) at an altitude of up to 3,500 metres (11,500 feet). On the road, it has a top speed of around 170 kilometres an hour
The first edition, the PAL-V Liberty, costs 499,000 euros ($599,000), while the slightly cheaper PAL-V Liberty Sport, to be made next, has a price tag of 299,000 euros.
