Futuristic flying car designed to launch from your driveway reaching 10,000ft & 290mph is set for release THIS YEAR
The high-tech eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) is tipped as the 'personal aircraft of the future'.
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The Sigma is operated by a simple push button and can hit speeds of 290 mph
Credit: Cover Images
The boffins at aerospace startup AltoVolo have engineered Sigma to reach speeds of 290mph.
Designed for point-to-point travel, the Sigma was created to sack off the hassle of public transport.
Drivers will simply step inside and push a button, and within moments they will be hovering over the neighbourhood, ready to cruise above the traffic.
The patent-pending tilting jet propulsion system combines electric battery power for takeoff and landing with a liquid fuel engine for longer distances.
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Wrapped in a sleek 4.8-metre-wide airframe and weighing just 980kg, the Sigma has a cruising speed of 220 miles per hour.
The hybrid power system allows it to fly up to 510 miles on a single trip, or 260 miles in electric-only mode.
It can hover in place for 15 minutes and carry a payload of up to 270kg – enough for three passengers and luggage.
Its maximum flight ceiling is 10,000 feet, and at takeoff, it emits just 65 to 70 decibels of noise at 100 metres – quieter than a lawnmower – making it suitable for use in residential areas.
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In emergencies, the aircraft can maintain flight even if one of its jet units fails.
And if things go wrong, there's a ballistic parachute system that can deploy from as low as 50 feet, a rare and reassuring feature for an aircraft this size.
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The Sigma's flight systems have been reviewed and validated by Dr. Richard E. Brown of Sophrodyne Aerospace, while its simulations have been powered by engineering software from Ansys – the same high-performance tools used by Formula 1 racing teams.
AltoVolo has already completed the first successful flight of a scale prototype and is now fast-tracking development of a full-scale demonstrator, with autonomous flight systems developed by Embention.
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The company plans to open a waitlist this July for early reservations of Sigma.
This comes after the prototype for the AirCar was revealed, two years after an early version featured on Amazon's The Grand Tour.
Watching the hi-tech motor take off and land during the Eurocrash episode, stunned host Jeremy Clarkson said: "Very rarely am I lost for words, but I'm lost for words."
Now AirCar has revealed what the production vehicle will look likely after debuting a more road-ready prototype.
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"The AirCar fulfils a lifelong dream to bring the freedom of flight into the hands of everyday people," said AirCar boss Stefan Klein, of KleinVision.
"With the launch of our production prototype, we are one step closer to transforming how the world moves.
"Merging the road and the sky into a new dimension of personal mobility."
Test versions of the flying car have already clocked up more than 170 flight hours.
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They've been spread across an impressive 500 take-offs and landings.
AirCar boasts that its flying vehicle can turn from a car to an aircraft "in less than two minutes".
During the Grand Tour episode, Clarkson noted that the car was capable of 120mph flight at an altitude of 8,000 feet.
And AirCar now says that its motor has been upgraded with a new 280-horsepower engine.
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"We're not just witnessing the future of transportation — we're engineering it," said AirCar co-founder Anton Zajac.
Klein first began working on flying car concepts in the 1980s, but his AirCar prototype didn't take flight until October 2020.
Since then, the AirCar has reportedly made hundreds of flights – including between different airports.
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The price of the futuristic piece of kit is yet to be revealed
Credit: Cover Images
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There is an emergency parachute system that can be engaged from as low as 50ft
Credit: Cover Images
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The company plans on opening its waitlist this July
Credit: Cover Images
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