Dutch 'flying car' takes to the skies

http://www.physorg.com ^ | 04-03-2012 | Staff

[Red Badger]

Is it a flying car or a driving aircraft? Either way, the Personal Air and Land Vehicle, or PAL-V for short, has just proved it can handle the skies as well as the highway, both at up to 180 kilometres (112 miles) per hour, its Dutch developers said Tuesday.

The PAL-V is a gyrocopter that can fly as far as 500 kilometres (315 miles) at an altitude of up to 4,000 feet (1,200 metres).

When it lands, it tucks away its rotor-blades and turns into a road-legal three-wheeled vehicle with a range of 1,200 kilometres.

"In future, you will be able to drive from home to the airport, take off, land and then drive to your destination in one go," said Robert Dingemanse, chief executive of the company, also called PAL-V.

"The successful maiden flight of the PAL-V protoype was conducted at a Dutch Air Force base last month," added the head of the company, based in Raamsdonksveer near the eastern city of Nijmegen.

"It will revolutionise the era of personal air travel," said Jacco Hoekstra, dean of the aerospace faculty at Delft Technical University, which with the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory cooperated on the project.

"Before, air travel was mainly based on public transport," Hoekstra said. "Now it will become a lot more personal -- you will simply be able to walk out your door, drive to a small airfield and fly away."

If the PAL-V sounds like the perfect getaway vehicle from a traffic jam, there is a hitch -- it requires 165 metres of runway to take off, 30 metres to land and can only be flown from airports.

For more than a century inventors have been trying to combine cars and planes, and several companies have joined the race to make the first commercially-produced "flying car."

US-based firm Terrafugia said Monday they had successfully tested their own street-legal plane called the the "Transition."

[Red Badger]

A test pilot lands the Personal Air and Land Vehicle PAL-V following a test flight in 2009. Is it a flying car or a driving aircraft? Either way, the Personal Air and Land Vehicle, or PAL-V for short, has just proved it can handle the skies as well as the highway, both at up to 180 kilometres (112 miles) per hour, its Dutch developers said Tuesday.

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In development since 2008, the first commercial models of the arrow-shaped PAL-V are expected to go on sale in 2014 at 250,000-300,000 euros ($330,000-$400,000), Dingemanse told AFP.

[texson66]

I’m sure at that price they will sell nearly as well as the Volt.

[Hunton Peck]

If it’s driven by that rear-mounted propeller, that could add a little drama to the process of backing out of a parking space...

[Red Badger]

If it sold as well as the Volt, I’m sure they would be overjoyed.....................

[Red Badger]

No need for a backup alarm...........

[SuzyQue]

Very cute! And, in the right color.

[Huskrrrr]

I don’t see a drivetrain for the wheels so I’m assuming the rear prop provides the thrust for road travel?

[Red Badger]

I like sapphire blue, myself..........

[Red Badger]

Most likely.............

[elteemike]

Very cool...I want one! Pricey, though...Made from 100% pure Expensitanium, no doubt...

Unfortunately, until and unless the people who build ‘em can afford to buy ‘em (ala Henry Ford) it’ll just be a toy for the wealthy hobbyist...

Then again, only the wealthy could afford to own and operate the first cars, now everyone can own one...So maybe...

[SuzyQue]

Depends on the upholstery.

No, seriously, it looks like serious fun.

[Gaffer]

Anyone that drives that thing, on road, at 112 MPH deserves to hit a pothole on the front wheel and plaster themselves into the nearest deadly stationary object. NO way in cowboy hell it is street ready... Take cue from former three wheel ATV manufacturers why don’t you?

[NCC-1701]

Wonder what it would look like with some Sidewinders hanging off of it.

[elcid1970]

Autogyros have been around since the 1920’s yet have never progressed beyond the experimental stage except for a WWII Japanese prototype that was said to have been used as a submarine hunter.

And then there was “Little Nellie”, the world’s only attack autogyro, in “You Only Live Twice” of 007 fame.

Interesting, though. Also the Benson Gyrocopter which converted an aluminum skiff into a towed autogyro. One of those Popular Science boats of the future, soon to be within reach of all.

[achilles2000]

The pricing information is wrong. The cost is about $80k to $95k. I know because there are 2 at our local airport.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Somewhat less gay.

[mgstarr]

[NCC-1701]

Wonder what it would look like with some Sidewinders hanging off of it.

[achilles2000]

Oops. The pricing I gave is for the version that is not street legal. I don’t think being street legal justifies the expense over the non-street legal version. The non-street legal version can land and take off almost anywhere.

[NCC-1701]

Sorry for the double post. Having trouble with my post button.