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Flying Car Makes Successful Maiden Flight

Posted by samzenpus on from the I-still-want-my-jet-pack dept.

MistrX writes "The Dutch company PAL-V completed its first series of test flights with its flying car, the PAL-V One, successfully. The PAL-V One flies like a gyrocopter, with a minimal runway length of 165 meters, and drives around like a trike on the road. Furthermore it offers 2 passengers a maximum speed of 180km/h both on land and in the air. The company aims with the PAL-V One at usage within the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, because private flying is more commonplace."

8 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Video by HellKnite · · Score: 5, Informative

    As the linked article is basically a wall of text, here's the website which has a video of the maiden flight on the front page:

    http://pal-v.com/

  2. Re:Not a flying car by stoolpigeon · · Score: 4, Informative

    You are correct - and it's not a car. It's a two seater trike.

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  3. Re:Not a flying car by mhajicek · · Score: 2, Informative

    They usually get helos on site fairly quickly in car chases. Take off and you're asking to be shot down.

  4. No quick getaways by cruff · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apparently it is a 10 minute process to convert from road to flying mode. You'll need a team to keep the cop at bay until you can take off, assuming you have about 540 feet available for the take off roll.

  5. Re:Not a flying car by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Informative

    In all of science fiction flying cars have flown directly from the starting point to destination with no driving to or from airports in between (except some Asimov works where the world is apparently littered with runways). So to follow that definition, this is not a "flying car."

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  6. Re:MPG? by walkerp1 · · Score: 3, Informative

    MPG?

    38 mpg on the road, 21 mpg in the air (calculated). I pulled stats from the chart here: googleusercontent.com

    But, according to the newer page here: pal-v.com, we have 28 mpg on the ground and about 12 mpg in the air (calculated).

  7. Um, subby.... by Joce640k · · Score: 5, Informative

    How about a link to their website instead of a dumbass yahoo article without even a photo of the thing?

    http://pal-v.com/

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    No sig today...
  8. Re:Not a flying car by John+Courtland · · Score: 4, Informative

    Better check again, the long flabby arm of the law now operates antiaircraft systems. http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/09/manhattans-real-anti-aircraft-battery-stinger-missiles/43062/

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