AeroMobil flying car: ready for take-off
We talk to the man behind the AeroMobil 2.5 flying car, which is due to go into production next year
By Jeremy Taylor
6:30AM GMT 03 Dec 2013
When Stefan Klein gets stuck in a traffic jam on the drive to work it doesn’t stop him smiling. The automotive designer believes his AeroMobil flying car prototype will soon be ready for take-off, allowing him to unfold the carbon-fibre wings, fire up a propeller and soar skyward.
Klein, 53, has been perfecting his creation for more than 20 years. Now the Slovakian says it could be just a matter of months before the AeroMobil sparks another transport revolution and becomes a common sight on – as well as above – the streets of Europe.
His radically styled hybrid was a surprise hit at the AeroTech Congress in Canada in September, an event at which engineers and designers from around the world show off the latest in aeronautical technology. Klein’s futuristic flying car stole the headlines.
“I didn’t expect the reaction to be so good,” said Klein, from Bratislava. “There were a lot of incredible aircraft to look at but our car became the centre of attention. We even had specialists from Nasa asking what it was like to fly.”
AeroMobil 2.5 has a steel framework and a carbon-fibre body. A Rotax 912 engine runs on standard unleaded petrol and powers the car to just over 100mph on the road, or 124mph in the air. The wings tuck neatly into the body when the AeroMobil is on the street but fold out automatically for flight, increasing the width from 5ft to 27ft.
Klein and his business partner Juraj Vaculik have invested tens of thousands of pounds in the project, which four years ago looked as if it would never get off the ground. “I was a university lecturer and had to work on the car in the garage of my house,” said Klein.
“I reached a point in 2009 when I really needed to find some investment money to take it any further. I had known Juraj for many years and he liked the idea instantly. I had to warn him that the risks were great but he was prepared to open his chequebook and stand beside me.”
Now that faith may have paid off, with investors from India, China and Russia knocking on their door. AeroMobil has invites for flying shows around the world in 2014, even though the farthest the project car has flown so far is just three miles.
“AeroMobil 2.5 is the final prototype before we build the finished car next year,” said Vaculik, 45. “We have been overwhelmed with inquiries since the Canadian event and now hope to get the production version ready for April.”
The propeller-powered car weighs 450kg and takes off at 90mph. It has a flying range of 430 miles but once on the ground fits neatly into a normal-sized parking space.
The company has just moved to a purpose-built hangar on a private airfield and will employ at least 15 extra staff within the next 12 months. It also plans to build different versions of the car and eventually offer a range of models.
'Nobody believed me when I first started designing a flying car. Now they don’t think I am mad any more because we have had so much interest. The world is changing and many countries, such as America, are looking at new aviation legislation which make the whole idea more feasible,” said Klein.
Vaculik has yet to hitch a ride in the two-seater but is now taking flying lessons. He says his only major concern with the car was when Klein decided he would adopt the role of test pilot. “Stefan has more than 1,000 hours flying normal aircraft but I was still worried to let our chief designer be the guy who also made the maiden flight,” said Vaculik.
The pair remain coy about the price of the AeroMobil but say the past failures with flying cars will not deter them to invest more.
Vaculik clearly believes he and Klein are justified in their optimism: “People thought the first mobile phones were a joke because they were so big and heavy. Sometimes designs have to be modified and refined before they catch the public imagination.”
SPECIFICATION
AeroMobil 2.5
Engine: Rotax 912
Construction: steel framework and carbon coating, folding wings
Dry weight: 450kg (992lb)
Capacity: Two people
Aerplane
Top speed: 124mph-plus
Min speed: 40mph
Take-off speed: 90mph
Range: 430 miles
Fuel consumption: 18.9mpg
Width: 8,200mm
Length: 6,000mm
Automobile
Top speed: 100mph-plus
Range: 310 miles
Fuel consumption: 37.8mpg
Width: 1,600mm
Length: 6,000mm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/mot ... e-off.html