AeroMobil s.r.o. AeroMobil explained

The AeroMobil s.r.o. AeroMobil is a prototype roadable aircraft, designed by Štefan Klein and first flown in 2013. The aircraft was going be produced by Slovak company AeroMobil s.r.o.

AeroMobil s.r.o. company co-founder and CEO Juraj Vaculík indicated in March 2015 that the vehicle is intended for "wealthy supercar buyers and flight enthusiasts". Aeromobil unveiled the production version of the vehicle in April 2017 and announced that it would be available for preorder before the end of 2017.[1]

As of February 20, 2023, AeroMobil failed to acquire new financing and closed down. Total investments amounted to about €25 million.[2]

Design and development

The prototype was conceived as a vehicle that can be converted from an automobile to an aircraft. The version 2.5 proof-of-concept took 20 years to develop, and first flew in 2013. The prototype was constructed by the AeroMobil Team based in Bratislava and led by co-founders Štefan Klein and Juraj Vaculík, advised by inventor Dean Kamen.

As of 2013, there have been four developmental versions of the Aeromobil, 1.0, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0,[3] with earlier versions lacking folding wings, while later versions have folding wings and fins around the wheels.[4] Version 2.5 was first exhibited in Montreal at the SAE AeroTech Congress and Exhibition. Version 3.0 was introduced at the Pioneers Festival 2014 in Vienna, Austria, and flew in October 2014.[5] The designers intend to include a ballistic parachute.[6]

In 2014 the company said there is no date for a finished product,[7] but in 2015, after the crash of the prototype, they hoped for deliveries by 2018.[8] [9]

On 6 April 2016, the company raised €3 million ($3.2 million US) to help fund the production and demonstration of a new vehicle. This round of funding comes from individual investor Patrick Hessel, a founder of c2i. The company, c2i, is a maker of aerospace and automotive parts constructed from composite material.[10]

On 20 April 2017, AeroMobil s.r.o. unveiled the production model of the vehicle at Top Marques Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and announced that it would begin to take preorders for a "limited first edition" of it before the end of 2017. The first edition was to consist of no more than 500 vehicles, and the first 25 ordered were planned as a "Founders Edition" with "series-specific product content along with an expanded benefits package" with "details to be announced separately."[11] [12]

Variants

AeroMobil 1.0 (1990–94): Initial concept vehicle[13]
  • AeroMobil 2.0 (1995-2010):Concept development
  • AeroMobil 2.5 (2010-2013): The pre-prototype of the Aeromobil concept
  • AeroMobil 3.0 (2014-2017): Further development of the concept. First publicly shown in October 2014 and crashed on 8 May 2015. Powered by a Rotax 912S engine, it was constructed with a steel frame covered in carbon fibre.[14]
  • Aeromobil 4.0 (2017-): Hybrid power based on a Subaru boxer engine. 300 hp gasoline or 110 hp electric.

    • Accidents

    On 8 May 2015 the AeroMobil 3.0 prototype crashed at Nitra Airport near Janíkovce, during a test flight. It entered a spin and the ballistic parachute was deployed. The aircraft crashed on descending and suffered major damage. The pilot, Stefan Klein, received only minor injuries and was able to walk away from the aircraft.[15] [16] [17] In June, 2015, the company indicated that a new prototype was being developed.

    Notes and References

    1. News: Flying car will go on sale in 2017, Aeromobil says. 15 March 2015. Chung. Emily. 15 March 2015. CBC News.
    2. News: Dream of a flying car comes to an end. AeroMobil fails to acquire new financing and closes down. 20 February 2023. The Slovak Spectator.
    3. News: Francis. Govers III. Aeromobil flying car prototype gets off the ground for the first time. 1 January 2015. Gizmag. 17 October 2013.
    4. Web site: About. AeroMobil. 1 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150102021549/http://www.aeromobil.com/about. 2 January 2015. dead.
    5. News: Thisdell. Dan. To fly or drive – why choose?. 1 January 2015. Flightglobal. Reed Business Information. 31 October 2014.
    6. Web site: Mary . Grady . Next For Aeromobil: Self-Flying Cars . avweb.com. Aviation Publishing Group . 16 March 2015 . 19 March 2015 .
    7. Web site: Turk. Victoria. Another Flying Car Option for the Rich and Lazy. Motherboard. 1 January 2015. 29 October 2014.
    8. Web site: Finally! A Flying Car Could Go On Sale By 2017 . Mack . Eric . . 16 March 2015 . 17 March 2015.
    9. Web site: Slovak makers of flying car press on after crash . yahoo.com . 5 June 2015 . 7 June 2015 . AFP . 15 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150615033628/https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/slovak-makers-flying-car-press-crash-150608082.html . dead .
    10. Web site: Flying car maker AeroMobil picks up $3.2M to help it move toward production. Etherington. Darrell. TechCrunch. 2017-04-06.
    11. Web site: Krivokapic, Milos, and Angela Charlton, "Correction: Monaco-Flying Car story," Associated Press, April 21, 2017, 9:22 AM EDT. . 21 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170422134007/http://www.koamtv.com/story/35199345/correction-monaco-flying-car-story . 22 April 2017 . dead .
    12. Web site: Anonymous, "AeroMobil, Unique Limited Edition Flying Car, Launched at Top Marques Show," aeromobil.com, April 20, 2017. . 21 April 2017 . 18 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170618214610/https://www.aeromobil.com/official-news/detail/aeromobil-unique-limited-edition-flying-car-launched-at-top-marques-show/ . dead .
    13. Web site: AeroMobil: Flying car. 30 December 2014. 19 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141219150753/http://www.aeromobil.com/evolution. dead.
    14. News: Durden. Rick. Flying Roadster To Be Unveiled. 1 January 2015. avweb.com. Aviation Publishing Group. 3 October 2014.
    15. Web site: Jasom. Dotnet. 9 May 2015. Aeromobil 3.0 flying car crash landed, test pilot survived and walked away. Jasom.net.
    16. Web site: Pia . Bergqvist . Test Pilot Survives Flying Car Crash . . 12 May 2015 . 14 May 2015.
    17. Web site: Aeromobil Flying Car Crashed, Pilot OK. AVweb. 9 May 2015.

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