Getting in your car and flying off to your holiday destination could be a reality within years. A flying car prototype in Slovakia has recently been given a flying certificate, moving one step closer to reaching the public market. The certificate was delivered by the Slovak Transport Authority.
The AirCar first appeared in the news in July 2021 after successfully completing its first test flight between two cities in Slovakia. Since then, it has had more than 70 hours of test flights, 200 take offs and landings, as well as 45 degree turns. Anton Zajac, co-founder of Klein Vision, which is the company behind the flying car, says he and his partner hope the AirCar will give the pilot the freedom to avoid traffic jams and busy airports.
“I’m flying across Europe often and I wish I had the flying car because I could land and not wait for a taxi, or go through crowded terminals,” he said. “Cars used to be a symbol of freedom. And if you have a driver’s licence, you certainly know you lost that freedom because you are often stuck in traffic”.
The current prototype has a flying range of 500 km and is equipped with fully wings, a BMW engine with a propeller, and a parachute. The company is already working on its next prototype with a flying range of 1,000 km and a speed of 300 km/h. And while the new prototype will also have to go through tests, Zajac says it was important the first prototype was given approval since the new car will have the same geometry as the first one.
Comprehension
1) What is the AirCar and why is it in the news?
2) What are the benefits of the AirCar according to Anton Zajac?
3) Has the AirCar prototype been approved for public use?
Vocabulary
Match the words to the definition:
1) prototype
2) take off
3) landing
4) avoid
5) crowded
6) stuck
a) can’t move
b) a life-size model of what the final product will be like
c) a lot of people in one place
d) to stay away from something
e) when a plane goes up into the sky
f) when a plane comes down to the ground
Grammar Highlights
Use “since” for a specific time in the past:
“Since then, it has had more than 70 hours of test flights…”
You must use commas to separate a non-defining relative clause:
Anton Zajac, co-founder of Klein Vision, which is the company behind the flying car, says he and his partner hope the AirCar will give the pilot the freedom…”
*This article was adapted from another article to make it more suitable for English learners. You can read the original article here.