This is the world’s first legal flying car

MANILA: What seems a dream a few years back has been turned into reality now. Yes, the Dutch company, PAL-V has come up with its first legal flying car which is officially available for sale. With a price tag of approximately $400,000 (Php 1,98,84165), you can actually buy a Rolls-Royce Dawn or a car which can let you free from the city traffic.

Tagged as Liberty, the orders are now entertained by the company. According to PAL-V, the Liberty is fully compliant with safety regulations set by global governing bodies. The deliveries are expected to start by the end of 2018.

The first 90 copies are designed as Pioneer Editions, which features exclusive exterior as well as interior details. The Pioneer Edition also features power heating option as standard and is priced at $599,000. After clearing the 90 units of Pioneer Edition, the PAL-V will start rolling out the standard version of Liberty.

In a press release, the company said, “ PAL-V has chosen deliberately to design and engineer a flying car that is equipped with all the latest technologies and comply with existing regulations.” For the company, North America is the target market and later we might expect other markets to witness this flying car.

Before sitting behind the wheel of Liberty, the driver should have a driving as well as flying license. When on road, the Liberty lowers its suspension and make use of its tilting cockpit for better maneuverability. PAL-V Liberty has a three-wheel layout and rotor blades on the roof which folds away. The Rotax engine-based dual propulsion drivetrain features two engines - one for driving and other for flying. For flying, the unpowered engine rotor on the top helps in lifting the car while the engine-powered blade on the rear provides the required thrust.

The car takes 5-10 minutes to convert from driving to the flying mode or vice-versa. The driving mode engine produces 99 hp maximum power and clocking 0-100 kmph mark will take 9.0 seconds. In the air, the car can reach a maximum altitude of 3500m and engine produces 197 hp maximum power.

The car will be assembled in the Netherlands with particular parts being manufactured in other countries. Let’s see when we get to see this car on roads and in the air.