Have you ever been overtaken by a flying car on the highway? That can happen now. The Dutch flying car, the PAL-V Liberty, has been officially approved for use on the road and can be spotted on European roads and highways. After successfully driving and flying a prototype in 2012, PAL-V has started development of the PAL-V Liberty, the commercial product. The PAL-V Liberty recently passed the European tests and the vehicle is allowed on public roads. After completing a tough and extensive test program, which PAL-V started in February 2020, the vehicle is now fully approved.
Mike Stekelenburg, CTO of PAL-V, explains how he experienced this journey: “With the memories of flying and driving our proof-of-concept, the PAL-V ONE, I was looking forward to going the Liberty to test. We have been working with the RDW for several years to achieve this milestone and the discharge in the team was therefore enormous. It was quite a challenge to meet all road admission requirements with a “folded aircraft”. Stekelenburg adds: For me, the key to making a flying car successful is to make sure the design complies with both air and road regulations. I feel tremendous energy and motivation in our team to take the next steps to reach the last few milestones and get the Liberty certified on the air ”.
In the coming months, the Liberty will perform endurance tests, so from now on you can really encounter a flying car on the highway! Some people have already experienced this during the filming of the PAL-V in, for example, Rotterdam. In the coming period, the endurance tests will mainly take place in the Netherlands.
Hans Joore, test driver at PAL-V: “When I started the PAL-V for the first time, I got goosebumps! All our work over the years came together at that one crucial moment. The vehicle coming to life was insane and the driving is great! The vehicle drives comfortably and steers nicely, and with a weight of only 660 kg, the vehicle accelerates quite well. It really feels like a sports car, sensational ”.
Since 2015, PAL-V has been engaged in aviation certification of the Liberty design under the guidance of EASA, the European aviation authority. Completion of this is expected in 2022. The certification of the PAL-V Liberty benefits from the certification experience gained from the previous flight program with the PAL-V ONE. More than 1200 test reports must be submitted before the Liberty is allowed to make its last 150 hours of flight time. After this has been completed, the deliveries of the vehicles to the first customers can start immediately. As 80% of future PAL-V pilots are new to aviation, some customers have already started their flight training at the PAL-V FlyDrive Academy.
PAL-V CEO Robert Dingemanse concludes: “This is a big step forward for us, from here we are moving into our final milestones in the next gear. In addition, the Liberty can be seen at our roadshow through Europe in the near future. Keep an eye on our agenda where the PAL-V can be seen in the near future. I would like to invite you to visit one of our stops. ” www.PAL-V.com/roadshow.
