It's not a plane, it's not a car, it's a flying car - or rather a heli-car if you can call it that, because it uses propellers instead of fixed wings to take flight. This also makes the PAL-V flying car pretty compact.
PAL-V was at the Geneva Motor Show 2018, taking orders for its first flying car! Or rather for 500 of them that it plans to make from 2019 onwards. The concept is in production stage and final safety certification is taking place for it.
Mike Stekelenburg, Chief Engineer at PAL-V told The Quint that the PAL-V uses two engines, one of which is used to power it on the road, while both of them are used for flight.
The idea for a flying car is practical. There are many people who have to take a car to the airport, take the plane out of the hangar, fly to another airport and then get another car to take them to their destination. With the PAL-V you can choose to drive or fly in any weather condition.Mike Stekelenburg, Chief Engineer, PAL-V
The Dutch company plans to begin deliveries of the PAL-V flying car in 2019, once final safety certifications are complete.
The car uses two sets of propellers – one at the rear to provide forward motion and the other on top to provide lift like a helicopter. It has a top speed of 180 kmph in the air and can go up to an altitude of 11,000 feet, with a maximum distance of about 560 km. This would make it practical for short-hop business flights for two people.
The PAL-V also carries two sets of registration plates – one for the road like a regular car and one for the air. Of course, not everybody can buy it (not just for the price of Rs 4 crore or 500,000 euros). One has to have a commercial pilot's licence as well.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)