A prototype of the much-hyped AeroMobil 3.0 flying car crashed earlier this month during a test flight in Slovakia.
The pilot and co-founder of Slovakian-based Aeromobil, Stefan Klein, walked away from the crash with only minor injuries but the aircraft sustained some damage.
Mr Klein is believed to have encountered an unexpected situation at an altitude of 900 feet and was forced to activate the flying car’s ballistic parachute system and perform an emergency landing.
Reports indicated that the aircraft entered a tailspin which suggested the aircraft stalled due to the airspeed having dropped too low for the prototype to keep flying.
AeroMobil issued a statement following the May 8 crash, stating “the detailed data and overall experience from this test flight will be thoroughly analysed and the results will be used in the ongoing R&D and improvements of the prototype. Testing of the current prototype 3.0 and further product development will continue after the replacement of the damaged parts”.
AeroMobil also stated that an unexpected situation such as what occurred during the test flight was a natural part of the testing program, especially in the prototype phase.
“It is necessary to test the prototype in every way possible to establish its limits and to improve on them,” the company said.
“The flight recording details will help us learn from the data and improve the performance of the vehicle prior to our next test flight.”
The AeroMobil 3.0 can be driven like a car and with its wings extended turns into an aircraft.
On the ground it has a top speed of 99mph (159 km/h) and a fuel range of 545 miles (877km), while in the air it has a top speed of 124mph (199 km/h) and a fuel range of 435 miles (700km).
AeroMobil hope to begin selling the AeroMobil 3.0 by 2017.
