Driving while Flying now Possible – PAL-V1

Thanks to the Dutch company PAL-V the dream of flying one’s own car could be realised. This week PAL-V introduced their first prototype flying car called the PAL-V1, or Personal Air and Land Vehicle. This vehicle takes a form of a roadster or sports car when on land with characteristics of a superbike. The wheels are propelled via a chain and sprocket on the right back wheel capable of reaching speeds of up to 190km/h. Currently tested as a single seated with hope of making an even robust engine that could accommodate more passengers.  

Within minutes the propeller can be unfolded and the tail stretched to convert it into a gyroplane and take off into the air. When in the air the PAL-V1 can do the speeds as on land depending on the weight load. The company claims that the prototype has passed all international laws that govern driving and flying respectively. I am just not too sure if one would have to get an aviation license to be allowed to own one or will my Code 08 license acquired from Shoprite do the trick. The other issue I think will create problems is if we all skipped traffic by springing off the ground in different directions we will ultimately jam up

parking lot landing strips; just imagine everyone trying to land at the same time at the mall on Saturday. The only way we could go around that is if we make the gyroplane so expensive that we leave the poor people on the ground at least, that should make way for this new era to dawn.

This idea of a flying car had been tried a few times before with no real success to get to the production stage. I remember the closest anyone ever gotten close to production was a company called Terrafugia with a prototype called Transition, but tat also was marred by challenges which saw the idea being stacked at the back shelves indefinately.

 

But PAL-V is however calling for investors to get on board and see this through to production. We could see the first production start in 2014 and I have a feeling Virgin’s Richard Branson will climb on board this one.

TMakhubedu- Editor- Autozeen