Flying cars just received airworthiness certification in the US

Alef Automotive says its vehicle, dubbed the “Model A,” is the first flying vehicle that can be driven on public roads and parked like a normal car. It also has vertical take-off and landing capabilities. It can carry one or two passengers and will have a range of about 200 miles.

Alef Aeronautics' flying car to debut on October 19, 2022. Photo: CNN

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it has granted the company a special airworthiness certificate, allowing the flying car to be used for limited purposes including exhibition, research and development.

Several companies are working on all-electric VTOLs—short for aircraft takeoff and landing vehicles. The FAA said Alef is “not the first aircraft of its kind” to receive special airworthiness certification. However, Alef noted that its vehicle is unique because it can operate both on the road and in the air, looks like a normal car, and can be parked in a normal parking lot.

“We are thrilled to receive this certification from the FAA. It brings us one step closer to providing people with greener, faster transportation that saves individuals and businesses time every week. This is one small step for airplanes, one giant leap for cars,” said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.

FAA-approved flying car prototype. Photo: MGN

The company’s website says the flying car will be certified as a “low-speed vehicle,” meaning it won’t be able to go faster than about 25 mph (40 km/h) on paved roads. “The assumption is that if the driver needs a faster route, the driver will use Alef’s flying capabilities,” the company says.

It still needs approval from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to hit the road.

The development of the vehicle has been underway since 2015. Four friends Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov and Dukhovny, inspired by the movie “Back to the Future”, decided to form a team and try to develop them.

The company said the vehicle’s initial autonomous test flight was successful in 2018, and a full-size prototype flew the following year. But Alef said they need a special airworthiness certificate from the FAA to continue the necessary research and development.

Mai Anh (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/o-to-bay-nhan-duoc-chung-chi-bay-o-my-post254914.html