I used to dream of owning a flying car. No really, I did. I think too much science fiction might have rotted my brain if I am being honest, as I also quite fancied building a space rocket from toilet rolls.
Anyway, I couldn’t believe it today when I saw that someone else had only gone and stolen my idea. It is true, Dutch inventors have invented a flying car. Obviously I rushed online to see the video and I was a trifle disappointed to see something which looks more like a driveable helicopter than a flying car.
Anyway, for the stats fans among us, it needs 165 metres of flat land before it can take off, so you might need to extend your drive if you plan on getting one of these. It can reach a top speed of 180 km an hour in the air, while on the ground its top speed is, well, the same really.
A Three Wheeled Car on the Ground
It is called the PAL-V and it seems that the parts which make it fly (technical description there) can be tucked out of sight when you plan to stay on the ground. This leaves you with a 3 wheeled little run-around which isn’t the smartest looking vehicle on the road but you can’t have everything can you?
Wouldn’t it be great to imagine the skies over UK cities being filled with these little machines? It turns out that you need a pilot’s license to use one of them and that could take you up to 30 hours of lessons and presumably a fair bit of money as well. Still, it is probably worth it for the pleasure of soaring over the early morning traffic jam on the way to work and driving away on the other side with a huge grin on your face.