Flying car based on Ferrari 'could be reality within two years'A flying car based on a Ferrari could be ferrying wealthy commuters to work within two years, designers have predicted.. The 'Autovolantor' - based on a £200,000 Ferrari 599 GTB - is being developed by "Moller International". It will have the ability to take off vertically and hover thanks to eight powerful thrusters which direct air down for take off. Vents then tilt so the car can fly forward.
The car is expected to be able to do 100mph on the ground and 150mph in the air. The calculated airborne range is 75 miles and ground range is 150 miles.
Designer Bruce Calkins says the car features a specially designed hybrid fuel and electric system to power the thrusters, creating as much as 800 horse power. He believes it will be able to fly at altitudes of up to 5,000ft. Mr Calkins said: "The Autovolantor is powered by eight fans mounted in the fuselage of the vehicle.
"On the ground these fans push the vehicle around with a firm but not-too-powerful thrust of deflected air. "Small vanes in the exit area of the ducts can direct the air forward or back, or remain in the neutral position for vertical take off and landing.
"Once in the air the vehicle manoeuvres like a helicopter, tilting nose down to move forward, rolling right or left for changes in direction. "While maximum altitude could be much higher, the energy to obtain altitudes above 5,000 feet would be significant so we expect it to stay below that height."
Moller chose the Ferrari to be the model for the ground-breaking machine because of its distinctive shape. Mr Calkins, Moller's general manager, added: "The Ferrari 599 GTB has the general shape and layout we were looking for. "Using it allowed us to quickly modify a readily available scale model and run some wind tunnel tests to establish the technical feasibility of the project.
"At first we were very sceptical that we could adapt a ground-vehicle with our technologies and make it work. "But the model allowed us to quickly verify that it could in fact be done." Mr Calkins said he hopes the vehicle's ability to "quick hop' out of traffic' could mean they attract the backing to fund the project.
He estimates a cost of around £500,000 per car
Flying car based on Ferrari 'could be reality within two years'
Stuck in traffic?
Meet the new supercar based on a Ferrari that could fly you out of jams
It's an idea that's never really taken off, despite featuring in countless books and films. But the flying car could become a reality in two years, claim its makers.
Called the Autovolantor, it is being marketed as the perfect way for the rich and famous to avoid traffic jams, simply by taking to the skies.
Its creators say it will cost ?500,000 and allow drivers to reach speeds of 100mph on the ground and 150mph in the air. Designer Bruce Calkins says the car, based on the ?200,000 Ferrari 599 GTB, will be powered by eight fans mounted in its fuselage.
He said: 'On the ground these fans push the vehicle around with a firm but not-too-powerful thrust of deflected air. 'Once in the air the vehicle manoeuvres like a helicopter, tilting nose down to move forward, rolling right or left for changes in direction.
While maximum altitude could be much higher, the energy to obtain altitudes above 5,000 feet would be significant so we expect it to stay below that height.'
Mr Calkins said the car will run on a hybrid fuel and electric system to power the thrusters, creating as much as 800 horsepower. He believes it will be able to travel for 75 miles by air or 150 miles by ground before it needs refuelling.
As yet, the design is in its infancy and only a tiny scale model exists.
Mr Calkins added: 'At first we were very sceptical that we could adapt a ground-vehicle with our technologies and make it work. But the model allowed us to verify quickly that it could in fact be done.'
The ambitious project was launched at aircraft designers Moller International in the U.S. after the company received a request to design the vehicle from a wealthy businessman who found the commute from the centre of Moscow to his country home would often be delayed by congestion.
For decades Dr Paul Moller, the company's founder and president, has dreamt of achieving a workable combination of ground and air transport. But despite the backing of a wealthy investor, he has yet to produce any practical real-world drive-and-fly vehicles.
Dr Moller concedes it may require a few tweaks to the Highway Code before the Autovolantor is allowed to hit the high street, saying: 'It seems that it might be practical in some parts of the world, but in our view a roadable aircraft, rather than a flying car, is still more practical for the greatest number of people.
Flying car based on Ferrari 'could be reality within two years'
Flying car based on Ferrari 'could be reality within two years'
Flying car based on Ferrari 'could be reality within two years'
