A cross-breed vehicle somewhere between a car and a helicopter has been designed by Dutch company, and the PAL-V company aims to pip its competitors to the post. It's posted to start production on what they bill as a world first: a three-wheeled gyrocopter-type vehicle which certified for use on the roads and in the skies.
"This kind of dream has been around for 100 years now. When the first airplane was invented people already thought 'How can I make it drivable on the road'?" chief marketing officer Markus Hess said.
Liberty is a gyroplane, which like a helicopter has large horizontal rotor blades but the difference is that these rotors are powered by the wind. The forward motion comes from a propeller at the back of the vehicle, which is equipped with two 100 horses engines - the additional one there for safety.
In the air, Liberty can fly up to 180kmh and 160kmh on the road. It takes 10 minutes to switch from driving to flying mode and, in the air, Liberty can fly for 500km from a full tank. The cockpit can only take two people including the pilot, but a family model could be the next technology challenge.
The PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) firm, based in Raamsdonksveer in the Netherlands, is aiming to deliver its first flying car to its first customer by the end of 2018. "Fly over mountains, rivers, lakes and traffic jams and drive on. Play more, get more things done and enjoy the ride at the same time," the company says on its website.
The lucky owner will need both a driving license and a pilot's license. But with the keys in hand, the owner will be able to go to an airfield for the short take-off, and after landing elsewhere drive to the destination for a "door-to-door" experience.
The basic model will on go sale for $400,000 (£319,000) but the "Pioneer" edition, which will be the first model on the market will be nearer to $600,000 (£478,000).
Different versions of a flying car are being developed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Japan, China and United States. But final assembly on the PAL-V will soon start, with the company seeking to be the first to go into commercial production.
