Dutch company PAL-V International's flying car gets competition. Slovakian company AeroMobil announces the AeroMobil 5 VTOL (vertical take-off and landing), a flying car that can take off and land vertically. In addition, the company reports it will deliver the first examples of the AeroMobil 4.0 STOL (short take-off and landing capability) to commercial customers in 2020.
The road is becoming increasingly crowded. Not surprisingly, several parties are working on vehicles that enable transport by air. After all, considerably more space is available in the air than in the air, no speed limits apply and in many cases it is possible to fly in a more or less straight line directly to the destination, without having to take into account roads, junctions and traffic lights, among other things. Recently, Dutch company PAL-V International announced plans to launch the world's first flying car in 2019. The company showed its PAL-V Liberty for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
AeroMobil 4.0 STOL
PAL-V International thus faces competition from Slovakian company AeroMobil, which plans to launch two models to answer different transport needs. The AeroMobil 4.0 STOL is a flying car that allows users to take off or land on a short runway - which must be at least 397 metres long. In the air, the vehicle is powered by a 2-litre four-cylinder boxer engine fitted with a turbocharger, which drives the propeller via a customised gearbox. The same engine is also used on the road in a hybrid electric system. Here, the engine acts as a generator that drives a pair of electric motors in the front axle. In the air, the engine delivers a power of 224 kW (about 300 hp), while on the road the power is 80 kW (about 110 hp).
The AeroMobil 4.0 STOL can achieve a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour (km/h) on the road, while the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 10 seconds. In the air, the maximum speed is 360 km/h, while the stall speed is 112 km/h. The vehicle's cruising speed is 259 km/h. In the air, the AeroMobil 4.0 STOL has a maximum range of 750 kilometres at 75% engine load. On the road, the vehicle burns about 4.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. The engine runs on 95-octane petrol.
AeroMobil says users can easily switch between driving and flying mode, a process that takes about three minutes. With this, the Slovakian company says it wants to give users the flexibility to cover long distances from door to door with a single vehicle. This allows users to drive the vehicle on public roads to a runway, fly through the air for most of their journey, and then switch back to driving mode to drive by road from the runway to their final destination. The vehicle accommodates two passengers and can carry up to 240 kilograms of luggage.
AeroMobil 5.0 VTOL
Besides the AeroMobil 4.0 STOL, AeroMobil is also working on the AeroMobil 5.0 VTOL. Unlike the AeroMobil 4.0 STOL, this flying car does not need a runway and can take off and land vertically. This is a significant advantage, as it means users no longer need a runway and can therefore take off or land from alternative locations. The vehicle is equipped with two electric propellers that enable vertical take-off and landing. A third propeller at the rear provides horizontal thrust. The AeroMobil 5.0 VTOL can accommodate four passengers.
Details about the AeroMobil 5.0 VTOL are unfortunately lacking for now. However, AeoMobil does report that the vehicle will go into production once the AeroMobil 4.0 STOL is delivered to commercial customers in 2020. The AeroMobil 5.0 VTOL is expected to be available in seven to 10 years.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: AeroMobil (pictured)
Source: PAL-V International
