5 Cool Things About The BMW-Powered Flying Car Made By Klein Vision

The flying car developed by Klein Vision, a company based out of Slovakia, uses a BMW engine for its propulsion needs

Recently, a video of a flying car made by Slovakian company Klein Vision has gone viral on YouTube. The feat is surely impressive. But did you know these five things about this flying car?

1) It uses a 1.6-litre petrol BMW engine

Anything that flies requires massive power to develop thrust, and for that, you need a big engine. Ironically, the Aircar (the name given by Klein Vision) uses a small 1.6-litre petrol engine with an effective output of 140PS. The makers reckon that the Aircar has an estimated range of 1000km and consumes around 18 litres of petrol per hour.

2) It can take off in 300 metres

A Boeing 737 with its powerful engines requires around 3kms of runway to take off under maximum weight. The Aircar cuts down that distance to 300 metres! It can reach a speed of up to 200kmph when taking off and cruise at around 190kmph in the air. All these feats have been possible because of excellent engineering, which has kept the weight of the Aircar down to just 1,100kg, with an additional 200kg capacity for passengers.

3) It has completed 142 successful landings

The biggest worry about anything that takes off is bringing it back down safely. The Aircar has undergone 142 successful landings, with its most recent attempt being an inter-city journey between the two international airports at Nitra and Bratislava, Slovakia. 

The aircraft has also successfully cruised at 8,200 feet at a speed of 100 knots (approx. 185kmph), even undergoing a host of stability and maneuverability tests in the air.

4) It can transform in 3 minutes

To fly, the Aircar needs to extend its wings and tail section, which it can do in just 3 minutes. That’s a serious cut down on the amount of time it takes to take off in a passenger plane, since the time you get down from a car at the airport. 

The car’s wings fold upwards and then tuck into the side of the vehicle, completely out of sight. The rear wing extends outwards when the button is pressed, and retracts when the Aircar is being driven on the ground. Unlike the side wings, it always stays in the view.

5) A more powerful version is coming

Currently, the engine makes 140PS. Klein Vision plans on using a more powerful 300PS engine in its second prototype. It is not yet confirmed if this motor will be sourced from BMW, however, we expect the cruising speed to go up significantly with this upgrade.