People have long imagined flying cars and the 1997 science fiction movie The Fifth Element , starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, portrays a classic example of a future filled with soaring vehicles.
This is no longer just the stuff of dreams, as Dutch company PAL-V is now taking pre-orders for world’s first certified commercial flying car, known as the PAL-V Liberty. The protype of this flying car (that one could argue looks like a gyrocopter that drives) is a step forward in the quest to develop flyable driving machines.
The Pal-V Liberty has a top ground speed of 160kph and when airborne it can travel at up to 180kph. What sort of distance does it cover on a tank? You can get 500km while airborne and more than that on land. So a weekend trip from Cape Town to Knysna could be done by air without the hassle of the N2’s Friday afternoon traffic.
You’ll need $599 000 (about R7.9-million) to buy the top-of-the-range Liberty Pioneer that adds smart detailing, at-home training, power heating and an electronic flight instrument display instead of the electromechanical option, while the standard Liberty Sport will arrive later for $399 000 (R5.3-million).
