2023-07-23 07:57:20
Alef Aeronautics’ Model A, a funny car that turns sideways to fly, has just taken a new step. It is the first vehicle of its kind to be licensed to fly in the United States.
There are more and more flying car projects, but one of the strangest is that ofAlef Aeronautics. The firm presented its Model A last October, an all-electric car that is also a vertical take-off and landing (adav or eVTOL) aircraft. This flying car has the particularity of being able to drive on the road like a normal car, but the top of its body is a mesh that lets the air pass through. When it takes off, it tilts sideways (one door down, one up) so the side bodywork acts as its wings, while the cabin also pivots to stay upright.
Alef Aeronautics has just announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the agency that regulates civil aviation, has just granted it a special certificate of airworthiness (Special Airworthiness Certificate). The FAA recognized that the Model A was fit for flight, and issued it an authorization to fly with nevertheless limits on the places and the reasons. This is the first time that a vehicle of this type has received such authorization in the United States.
Over 440 copies sold
« We are delighted to receive this certification from the FAA. We are getting closer to our goal of being able to offer a greener and faster mode of transport, saving individuals and businesses hours each week. It’s one small step for planes, one giant leap for cars said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef Aeronautics.
The car has a range of 320 kilometers on the ground, or 177 kilometers in the air, and can carry one to two people. The firm opened pre-orders at a price of $300,000 for an expected delivery in 2025. The car seems to have met with some success as it announced that it received 440 pre-orders in the last quarter of 2022 alone.
This flying car tilts in the air
A newcomer to the highly competitive flying car market, Alef has just presented a model that stands out from the crowd. After a vertical takeoff, it pivots and uses the sides as wings, while keeping its car shape.
Article by Edward BackEdward Back, published on 01/11/2022
Competition is fierce in the flying car industry, with many solutions involving a transformation of the device. Wings or rotors unfold, and the car becomes a small plane, a helicopter-helicopter or a quadcopter. The manufacturer Alef has just unveiled its first prototype called Model A. It stands out because it retains its car shape in the air.
The Model A is an electric vehicle with vertical take-off and landing (adav or eVTOL). It therefore does not require any special infrastructure to be able to take off, and it is also designed to be able to be driven on the road and parked in a standard parking space, unlike most of its rivals.
Deliveries planned for 2025
The body of the vehicle is equipped with eight discreet rotors and covered by a mesh that lets the air pass through. It has four wheels for the road and a two-person cabin in the middle. For take-off, all he has to do is activate his rotors, without the slightest transformation. However, the big peculiarity of this model is what happens following: the device turns to the side, and the cabin swivels to remain upright and turns 90 degrees to face the front. The sides of the car then serve as wings for much more efficient flight.
According to Alef, the Model A thus achieves a range of 177 kilometers in the air, or 320 kilometers on the ground. Those interested can already pre-order the device for $300,000 with delivery scheduled for the end of 2025. The firm has also announced that it is working on a second model, four-seater, with a range of nearly 500 kilometers. It will be offered at $35,000… in 2035. Until then, the competition has plenty of time to prepare the response.
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