Flying Car Reaches Sky in Holland

By Mats Lewan

The PAL-V One, a three-wheel enclosed motorcycle/car that converts to a flying autogyro, was successfully demonstrated before the Dutch Minister of Traffic Safety and Water Affairs and a large group of journalists along a highway near Amersfoort, Holland. The proof-of-concept vehicle was able to accelerate for about 500 feet along the highway before taking off. It can go up to 120 miles per hour either on the ground or in the air, with a cruising speed of 90 miles an hour and a flying range of 280 miles. The vehicle was invented by John Bakker, who combined the three-wheeled motorcycle/car hybrid from the Dutch firm Carver with the autogyro concept, invented in 1919, which uses a free-spinning rotor along with a separate propeller that pushes the vehicle along. Bakker believes the PAL-V One could one day be flown by ordinary people along air corridors with GPS navigation help.

May 1, 2009