We've probably all heard the humorous story of the traffic cop that pulled over a speeder, walked up to the speeder's open window and satirically said, "okay pal, let's see your pilot's licence." To the officer's astonishment, the errant driver sorted through his wallet and produced a valid pilot's licence. After being one-upped by the speeder, the officer wisely warned him to keep his speed down while on the ground.
If the PAL-V takes off (pardon the pun), that story may become all too common. PAL-V is short for Personal Air and Land Vehicle, a unique flying car of sorts that soars from the mind of its creator, John Bakker. John has dedicated six-years of his life developing his dream into a reality; a dream that most of us have pondered at some point- likely when burning fuel sitting behind an endless stream of taillights going nowhere.
John's dream has the backing of Dutch Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) and the underpinning of shrewd investors who have given him the horsepower to form a management team and to begin employee recruitment to get PAL-V Europe off the ground. Initiatives are underway to speed up the market launch by attracting additional well-heeled investors hoping to cash in on the next phase of personal transportation.
The PAL-V isn't a plane with wheels or some form of levitation craft as seen on the Jetson's. It's a hybrid of a car, motorcycle and gyrocopter. Inside the slim, three wheel vehicle occupants find comfort commensurate with a luxury car. Outside, a single folding rotor/propeller is collapsed on the roof until flight is desired. The gyrocopter design enables Very Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (VSTOVL) capability.
After taking to the skies from the nearest airfield or heli-pad, the agile PAL-V can take advantage of non-commercial airspace below 4,000 feet where no flight plan is required. Due to its vertical landing ability, the PAL-V can drop almost anywhere. Tim Horton's anyone?
The PAL-V is capable of a maximum airspeed of 195kph and has a range of 550 kilometres. But wait, just because it has wings so to speak, doesn't make the PAL-V a waddling duck on land. In fact it can hit 100kph in only 5-seconds and boasts a top speed of 200kph thanks to its sophisticated car engine.
When in contact with asphalt, the PAL-V uses the patented Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC(tm)) tilting technology invented for the Carver One to keep it glued to the road like a high performance sports car. While it steers like a car, it leans from side to side like a motorcycle, keeping the vehicle's centre of gravity perfectly positioned for optimal adhesion and control.
A tremendous amount of interest has been expressed in the PAL-V for both recreational and professional purposes. Some folks simply want to live the dream of flight while some foresee military and commercial applications. Either way, hearing a traffic officer say, "may I see your pilot's licence," may not be satirical much longer.
If the PAL-V takes off (pardon the pun), that story may become all too common. PAL-V is short for Personal Air and Land Vehicle, a unique flying car of sorts that soars from the mind of its creator, John Bakker. John has dedicated six-years of his life developing his dream into a reality; a dream that most of us have pondered at some point- likely when burning fuel sitting behind an endless stream of taillights going nowhere.
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John's dream has the backing of Dutch Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) and the underpinning of shrewd investors who have given him the horsepower to form a management team and to begin employee recruitment to get PAL-V Europe off the ground. Initiatives are underway to speed up the market launch by attracting additional well-heeled investors hoping to cash in on the next phase of personal transportation.
The PAL-V isn't a plane with wheels or some form of levitation craft as seen on the Jetson's. It's a hybrid of a car, motorcycle and gyrocopter. Inside the slim, three wheel vehicle occupants find comfort commensurate with a luxury car. Outside, a single folding rotor/propeller is collapsed on the roof until flight is desired. The gyrocopter design enables Very Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (VSTOVL) capability.
After taking to the skies from the nearest airfield or heli-pad, the agile PAL-V can take advantage of non-commercial airspace below 4,000 feet where no flight plan is required. Due to its vertical landing ability, the PAL-V can drop almost anywhere. Tim Horton's anyone?
The PAL-V is capable of a maximum airspeed of 195kph and has a range of 550 kilometres. But wait, just because it has wings so to speak, doesn't make the PAL-V a waddling duck on land. In fact it can hit 100kph in only 5-seconds and boasts a top speed of 200kph thanks to its sophisticated car engine.
When in contact with asphalt, the PAL-V uses the patented Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC(tm)) tilting technology invented for the Carver One to keep it glued to the road like a high performance sports car. While it steers like a car, it leans from side to side like a motorcycle, keeping the vehicle's centre of gravity perfectly positioned for optimal adhesion and control.
A tremendous amount of interest has been expressed in the PAL-V for both recreational and professional purposes. Some folks simply want to live the dream of flight while some foresee military and commercial applications. Either way, hearing a traffic officer say, "may I see your pilot's licence," may not be satirical much longer.
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