If you've ever envied the Jetsons their cool hovercar, you might want to learn more about a Russian inventor's new Aerocar - coming soon to roads and skies near you.
So-called “flying cars” have been a fixture of futuristic cityscapes and sci-fi stories since the 1940s –but, a few clunky efforts aside, no one’s come up with a real-life airborne car that could possibly compare with the Jetsons’ ultra-chic ride.
But that may be about to change, thanks to Aleksandr Gegak, the young Russian inventor behind the Aerocar, a sleek, modern contraption he recently demonstrated at a Russian airport.
The Aerocar is no cloud-hopping tractor from Proletarian Factory No.183 – its curvaceous body is formed from ultra-light plastic weighing a mere 60kg (132 lbs), and works very much like the powered hang-gliders that came into vogue over the past decade and a half.
Begak’s design team was inspired by a 1949 contraption (also called the Aerocar) invented by American Moulton B. Taylor, which consisted of a driving “pod” that would be latched to a cumbersome metal wing & tail framework when the driver wished to take to the air.
Finding the concept both expensive and inconvenient, the Russians built their Aerocar with an onboard pusher propeller to supply motive power and added a portable fabric parasail wing to provide lift. In case of an aquatic emergency, an inflatable flotation device keeps the Aerocar above the water’s surface. Put it all together, and the result is a lightweight, attractively styled, multi-purpose vehicle that carries its wing in storage and can be ready to fly from any reasonably flat location in mere minutes.
On the ground, the 4-wheeled Aerocar can be driven at speeds of up to 50 mph. Once airborne, it can fly at altitudes of up to 13,000 feet and cruise at 100mph. As Begak told Russia Today, “It’s great for fishing or hunting, especially the two-seater. Its flying speed can be very slow. It can be set at 15 kilometres per hour (10mph) so it will practically stay still. That’s good for hunting.”
We can think of a few other things it might be good for, too – after all, what better way to impress a first date than with a styling hovercar?