Dutch company PAL-V Europe NV recently completed their maiden flight of a half-car, half-plane hybrid called the PAL-V. (Personal Air and Land Vehicle.) The three-wheeled vehicle has been in development since 2008. The sleek design is an impressive blend of land- and aircraft. Retractable rotors power the vehicle in flight, but slide behind the PAL-V during ground transport.
The PAL-V requires less than 600 feet of runway space to take off. The top speed of the craft is reportedly the same on land or in the air: over 100 miles-per-hour.
"You can drive like a car with your normal car, then you can fly like a plane but in one vehicle." PAL-V CEO Robert Dingemanse says. "So if you want to fly over a mountain you can do that and then drive at the other end and go to your destination or fly over water or past a traffic jam, of course. All those kind of things are possible now."
Perhaps most impressive of all, the PAL-V is street as well as air legal. Anyone with a drivers license
The company hopes the PAL-V will someday be used by law enforcement and rescue services as fast, versatile transport in emergencies. They say they have also had interest from private buyers.
In many ways, the PAL-V resembles a high-tech motorcycle more than a car. The three-wheel design offers a lighter, more aerodynamic shape that improves performance both on the ground and airborne.
The PAL-V uses a "tilting system" on turns. The company claims the PAL-V accelerates like a sports car and turns like a motorcycle.
The tail retractable rotors fold back when the car is on the ground.
The PAL-V began development in 2008. A drivable prototype was ready in 2009, but it took years for the flying car to finally lift off.
"You can drive like a car with your normal car, then you can fly like a plane but in one vehicle." PAL-V CEO Robert Dingemanse says. "So if you want to fly over a mountain you can do that and then drive at the other end and go to your destination or fly over water or past a traffic jam, of course. All those kind of things are possible now."