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Video: The First Flying Car Should Come In
Customers can now order a flying car from the Dutch company PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle). At the end of 2018, the manufacturer wants to start delivering the "PAL-V Liberty Pioneer", which it claims to be the first flying car. Interested parties without a private pilot license want to help PAL-V quickly: flight hours are included in the purchase price of the vehicle.
On the road, PAL-V is to receive approval for the Liberty Pioneer as a motor tricycle and in the air as a small helicopter (CS 27). According to PAL-V managing director Robert Dingemanse, the flying car "not only fulfills the safety regulations but also existing laws and regulations in the air as well as on the street".
Picture gallery
Picture gallery with 6 pictures
Strictly speaking, when driving, the model is a motorized tricycle with two seats. The vehicle is powered by two petrol engines, with a top speed of 170 km / h. If the driver wants to become a pilot and exchange the road for the air, he has to convert his model, but according to PAL-V, this should only take between 5 and 10 minutes.
In the air it becomes a so-called gyrocopter. The airstream sets the rotor in motion, an engine such as a helicopter is not necessary. PAL-V promises its customers that its model, which can reach speeds of up to 180 km / h, will be much easier to fly. However, the pilots should not travel too long, after a maximum of 350 km to 400 km the tank is empty.
The target group for the device has already been clearly defined by PAL-V Marketing Director Markus Hess: "Wealthy entrepreneurs who want to treat themselves to something, but can also use it in everyday life, for example to quickly reach their various factories." to put it mildly: PAL-V is calling a purchase price of EUR 499,000 for the Liberty Pioneer limited edition of 90 models. 20 units are expected to go to customers next year.
For somewhat more price-sensitive customers, the Dutch have already announced a cheaper model. The “Sport” edition should be available from 2020, but compared to the Liberty Pioneer it is still not cheap with a purchase price of 299,000 euros. The difference between the two variants, according to PAL-V, is only the longer waiting time.
If you want to be one of the first PAL-V customers, you have to make a down payment of 25,000 euros, for the Sport Edition 10,000 euros are due. A reservation number costs 2500 euros. By the way, if you decide to pre-order, you take a certain risk: If PAL-V goes bankrupt, there will be no money back.
Other companies are working on the flying car
Other companies have already announced flying cars. The US company Terrafugia is working on its two-seater “Transition”; the founders are targeting the first deliveries for 2019. In contrast to PAL-V, no prices are known yet, and approval for the vehicle is still pending. The Slovakian company Aeromobil is also active when it comes to flying cars. Little can be learned about the product, however, the price should be “several hundred thousand euros”, the market launch “in the next two to three years”.
Israeli Rafi Yoeli and his company Urban Aeronautics are also planning to launch the “Cormorant” in 2020. However, this flying vehicle is only intended for military purposes.
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