AeroMobil officials unveiled the latest version of their flying-car design on Wednesday morning, at a technical fair in Vienna, Austria. The company says this version “incorporates significant improvements and upgrades” compared to the previous “pre-prototype,” AeroMobil 2.5. Powered by a Rotax 912 engine, version 3.0 can fly at a top speed of 108 knots for up to 370 nm. The aircraft has been working through a flight-testing program in real flight conditions since earlier this month, the company said. As a car, the two-seat vehicle can fit into a standard parking place, and runs on standard gasoline. As an airplane, it can take off and land from grass strips and short paved runways.
The body, shell, wings, and wheels of version 3.0 are built from advanced composite material with a steel framework. It also has all the main features that are likely to be incorporated into the final product, the company said, such as avionics equipment, autopilot and an advanced parachute deployment system. The airplane also can vary the angle of attack of the wings to significantly shorten the takeoff requirements. The aircraft has been in the works since 1990.
