The New Convertible Wingsuits and jet wings thrill, but may not be practical for everyday use. And it takes a lot of planning to load your hang glider on your car, drive to the nearest steep hill, and wait for the wind to be blowing just right. What if it were possible to just step into your car, drive it to a nearby strip of pavement, and take off ? T e AeroMobil 3.0 brings air travel to your


front door. T is machine is built for two. On the road, it drives like a regular car. It runs on gasoline. It’s speedy. It can reach speeds of 160 kilometers per hour. Parking isn’t a problem. It fi ts into a regular parking space like other cars. But this car isn’t really like other cars. By


unfolding the wings, this car turns into an airplane. To take off , the AeroMobil 3.0 needs a good running start. T e wings have been engineered in such a way that the plane doesn’t need much space to take off . It can take off from a regular airport. But, a strip of grass or open pavement about 200 meters long can serve as a runway, too.


Taking Off To get off the ground, the car must reach a speed of about 130 kilometers per hour. T at speed gives it enough liſt to overcome the force of gravity. T en the car soars into the air! When fl ying, the AeroMobil 3.0 moves like


any other small aircraſt . It can travel as far as 700 kilometers at a time. It can hit speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour. Back on the ground, its wings tuck in with


the press of a button. T en the nearest road takes the travelers to their destination.


Future Flight Strap yourself in. T ink about where you want to go. Take off . How much easier could fl ying get? T e future holds such potential. NASA’s Puffi n is a VTOL, or vertical take


off and landing aircraſt . It looks something like a small rocket. It stands on end, with its tail splitting into four legs. A single pilot stands inside. When the Puffi n takes off , it shoots up like a rocket. T en it turns horizontally to jet off to its destination. T e Puffi n does not use jet fuel. Instead,


batteries provide power for its small electric engines. Current battery technology limits Puffi n trips to only 80 kilometers at a time. Yet it can do that pretty quickly, fl ying 240 kilometers per hour. According to its designers, no special pilot


training is needed for a safe fl ight. A pilot opens the door and steps inside. T e aircraſt ’s control systems “feels” the pilot’s intentions. T en it travels to the destination automatically. Who knows? Maybe Puffi n and other VTOLs will be the commuter vehicles of the future. Imagine yourself 20 years from now. Will


you be jumping into a VTOL for a quick trip to the grocery store? From the looks of these inventions, the skies will be quite busy!


16 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


AeroMobil hopes to have its fl ying car ready for sale in 2017.


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