Roadable Aircraft Said To Be 'Ready For Production'

The AeroMobil 3.0 prototype of a roadable aircraft was shown publicly for the first time at the Vienna Pioneers Festival in Austria on Wednesday.

The company flew the airplane in Slovakia, where it is being built, before taking it to the event. A video released by the company shows the aircraft being driven from to an airport, unfolding its wings, and then taking flight.

The prototype of the AeroMobil was designed and manufactured by engineers led by chief designer and CTO Stefan Klein and CEO Juraj Vaculik, co-founders of the company, in just 10 months after the release of a much more basic pre-prototype, the AeroMobil 2.5.

"I believe that AeroMobil will inspire new ways of thinking about personal travel. It may really enable new ways of travel advancing it to a new level. We are set to reinvent the flying car without constraints and deliver excitement through unique technical solution and design," said Juraj Vaculik, Co-Founder and CEO of the AeroMobil company.

"I'm very happy with what we were able to achieve in such a short time with the team of only 12 people. AeroMobil 3.0 is not the end of a challenging project, it's the beginning of a whole new adventure which may change the way how we look at the personal transport in the future." said Stefan Klein, Co-Founder and CTO of the AeroMobil.

The official specs posted on the company's website indicate the vehicle's Rotax 912 engine gives the AeroMobil 3.0 a top speed in flight of over 108 knots, and more than 100 miles per hour on the road. Takeoff speed is 78 knots, and the range as an airplane is about 370 nautical miles.

While the production prototype is flying, the aircraft/car has a long way to go before it's available to the public. AeroMobil co-founder Juraj Vaculik says there are many obstacles on the road to certification, but he is optimistic that it can be accomplished. He said the technology exists, but "the biggest challenge has always been meeting the standards of the regulators," he told the Los Angeles Times.

Of course, the market for the vehicle may also be limited. The roadable aircraft will be priced in the same realm as a "supercar," which would likely put it north of $250,000 ... and you have to have a pilot certificate to take advantage of its full capabilities.

The paper reports that the AeroMobil has been pre-certified by Slovakia's Civil Aviation Authority, and flight testing is underway. The AeroMobil team says they hope to begin production "as soon as possible," but they have no specific timeline for a first delivery.

(Top image courtesy of Pioneers Festival. Bottom image from AeroMobil video)

FMI: www.aeromobil.com