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It’s the stuff of sci-fi films, and it’s finally here -- the world’s first flying car will be unveiled on Wednesday, marking a journey that has been 24 years in the making.
Named AeroMobil and developed by a group of Slovakian engineers, entrepreneurs and aviation experts, this car-plane is the size of a regular sedan on the ground that allows you to park it like a normal four-wheeler anywhere in the city. But take it out to an airstrip, and it literally sprouts wings as it converts into a ultralight aeroplane.
Fitted with collapsible wings, the AeroMobil can fly at a top speed of 200 kmph or more, with a take-off speed of 130 kmph – or roughly what many cars achieve on Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli sealink on a low-traffic day. And with a full tank, you could easily just fly to Goa given its range of 700 km where it can turn back into a car for your regular rounds of the shacks!
Made with a steel framework and carbon coating, the little car/plane, it does come a bit heavy at 450 kg but it can still hit 160 kmph on the road. The only downside – or upside, depending on where you are coming from – is that it can only seat two.
But enough about the tech specs: Here’s a video of the real thing.
Aeromobil: The flying car
Aeromobil: The flying car
