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The dream of taking to the skies in a car without the need to swap vehicles has been with us since the 1930s.
In 1940, Henry Ford stated “mark my words: a combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come." And indeed, science fiction & fantasy eventually became science fact, with many early pioneers making strenuous efforts; many inevitably didn’t end well, sometimes tragically so.
Today, there are more would-be flying cars than ever – and some now just need customers. Here’s our run-down of the twist and turns that make up the story of the flying car, complete with photos of them in both states of operation, where possible:
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Waterman Arrowbile - First Flight: 1937
Waldo Waterman hailed from San Diego. His Arrowbile was never intended to be a flying car. However, when he realised the advantages of its tail-less design meant it was easy to detach the wings on the ground, the design took shape.
It first flew in 1937 using a 100hp six-cylinder Studebaker car engine to power both wheels and propeller. Three Arrowbiles competed in the 1937 National Air Races in the USA and six of them were built in total, with the last being completed in 1957. Top airspeed was 120mph – and 70mph on the ground.
Where can I see one? An Arrowbile is now displayed at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
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Southernaire Roadable - First Flight: 1940
An ambitious plan to bring flying cars to the masses resulted in Theodore ‘Ted’ Parsons designing the Southernaire Roadable for the Southern Aircraft Corporation. Due to a lack of funding, Parsons sold the business and then went to work for it as an engineer.
However, only three prototypes were built, with the first flying in 1940. It used a three-wheeler layout and came with a 130bhp engine that powered both the wheels and propeller.
Where can I see one? The prototype made it into the San Diego Air & Space Museum but it seems it was lost in a fire.
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Airphibian - First flight: 1946
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, the New Yorker Robert Edison Fulton revealed his Airphibian flying car in 1946. Though the name suggested it was capable of landing on water, it was strictly for landing on the ground where the rear tail section detached so the front passenger cell could be driven away.
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Airphibian - First flight: 1946
Several Airphibians were built and it could cruise at 110mph in flight thanks to a 165bhp six-cylinder engine, but financial problems saw the company sold and no more were made, though it did go on to inspire the Aerocar, described next.
Where can I see one? An Airphibian is now displayed at the at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia (pictured).
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Aerocar - First Flight: 1949
Conceived more as an plane that could be driven on the road in 1949, the Aerocar was the first serious step towards the modern idea of a machine that can both fly and be driven on the road. Built in Washington, USA, it had folding wings that meant it could transform between its dual roles in just five minutes.
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Aerocar - First Flight: 1949
For longer road trips, the wings could be detached and towed behind the Aerocar, while for flight the propeller poked out from behind the flip-up rear number plate. Capable of 60mph on the ground and 110mph in the air with power from a Lycoming flat-four engine, six Aerocars were built and at least one is still currently in use.
Where can I see one? Surviving examples can be seen at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at the Kissimmee Air Museum in Florida (pictured), and the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
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AVE Mizar - First Flight: 1973
The Ford Pinto never looked so appealing as when it was turned into an AVE Mizar. This was achieved by grafting on the rear of a Cessna Skymaster to the dowdy hatch, although with the engine and propeller now positioned behind the cockpit. For take-off, both the aircraft and car engines were used to get up to flying speed as quickly as possible.
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AVE Mizar - First Flight: 1973
Then the road engine was switched off and the Mizar could cruise at up to 100mph. Two Mizars were built, but the whole plan came to an abrupt halt when its creator Henry Smolinski crashed and died during a test flight in September 1973 after a wing strut failed. The accident did nothing for the reputation of the concept generally and seems to have put paid to similar efforts for over three decades.
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Maverick LSA - First Flight: 2008
The Maverick LSA is perfect for anyone who wants to go further off the beaten track than even Bear Grylls is comfortable with. Using a rear-mounted 190bhp 2.5-litre Subaru engine, it’s a superb off-road machine that takes 3.9 seconds to get from 0-60mph and on to a top speed of 100mph. Light weight helps with the dirt-busting and, 15 minutes later, with flying too.
To keep things simple, the Maverick uses a deployable fabric wing identical to a paraglider’s and all of the controls remains the same while the car is being flown. In the air, top speed is 40mph and maximum flying time is three hours. That simplicity doesn’t come cheap, though, as the Maverick LSA costs from $94,000 (£72,500).
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Terrafugia - First Flight: 2009
Terrafugia is a stalwart of the flying car movement and has two models on its books. The Transition (pictured) is close to going on sale, and it has wings that fold out bat-style when it’s ready to take off. It can cruise at 100mph for up to 400 miles and comes complete with a built-in parachute should the petrol-electric hybrid power fail.
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Terrafugia - First Flight: 2009
With backing from parent company Geely, which also owns Volvo, Terrafugia expects the Transition to be the first practical flying car. Its other model, the TF2 is a piloted aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing that attaches to driving pods in two minutes to transport people or cargo between base vehicles on the ground.
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Parajet SkyRunner - First Flight: 2009
As first test flights go, the Parajet SkyRunner’s must rank as one of the most impressive. It completed a 6000km (3728 miles), 42-day expedition from London to Timbuktu in West Africa without a hitch. This all-terrain flying car from Louisiana has impressed in other ways, such as 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and an all-up weight of just 420kg (924 lb) plus driver and passenger.
Power comes from a 115bhp Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, more usually found in a Fiesta; cruising speed in the air is 55mph. The paraglider-style fabric wing makes it ideal for take-off and landing on fields and beaches. The price? US$154,000.
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PAL-V Liberty - First Flight: 2012
Among the many companies claiming to be the first to offer a modern flying car, PAL-V is closer to delivering a completed vehicle than most. Its Liberty models can be bought from €299,000 (£268,000/$348,000) and the Netherlands-based company already offers flying lessons in anticipation of its first deliveries. The Liberty takes up about the same road space as a large four-door and carries two passengers.
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PAL-V Liberty - First Flight: 2012
The gyrocopter main rotor folds down to sit on the roof of the cockpit and also brings the tail boom closer to the body when not flying, while the rear propeller tucks into the bodywork while being driven. The Liberty can accelerate from 0-60mph in 9.0 seconds and on to 100mph on roads, and it can cruise at the same speed with a range of up to 300 miles.
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Aeromobil 4.0 - First Flight: 2014
Four-wheel drive, 300bhp and a flat-four engine: must be a Subaru Impreza, right? Er, wrong. Meet the Aeromobil 4.0. It’s being developed in Slovakia as a flying car that doesn’t compromise between the two competing disciplines. Even so, it takes 10 seconds to get from rest to 60mph, but in the air it can cruise happily at 155mph and reach a maximum of 225mph.
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Aeromobil 4.0 - First Flight: 2014
On the ground, the wings fold bee-like over the rear of the Aeromobil and it takes less than three minutes to convert from road to air use. There’s also a 4.0 model in development that can carry four passengers instead of the 4.0’s two person cockpit.
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Vaylon Pégase - First Flight: 2016
French firm Vaylon has succeeded in building a flying car by keeping it to the basics of both requirements. The Pégase is aimed at leisure flyers and military applications where its lightweight is an advantage. The deployable fabric wing stows within the body’s frame and it can drive on the road at up to 62mph.
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Vaylon Pégase - First Flight: 2016
During flight, it can manage 50mph and needs an airstrip of no more than 100-metres to get airborne or land. It’s completed a flight over the English Channel and costs from €100,000 (around £90,000 or $115,000).
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Blackfly - First Flight: 2017
You probably won’t fancy driving the Blackfly very far on the ground. It uses its belly to land on and has limited mobility when not in the air. However, its makers reckon it will be the first aircraft that will not require a pilot’s licence, which they reckon makes it a viable alternative to the car for commuting.
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Blackfly - First Flight: 2017
Four compact electric motors on each of the front and rear wings allow the Blackfly to take off in its own length. Battery life means it can operate for up to 25 miles at a top speed of 62mph.
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Moller Skycar - First Flight: 2018
The Skycar name is misleading as Moller’s aircraft are only capable of limited movement on the ground beyond normal taxiing and airfield requirements. What makes them more intriguing to car drivers looking for an alternative to earthbound traffic jams is the Moller’s vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) abilities.
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Moller Skycar - First Flight: 2018
Using ducted fans rather than a normal propeller, this allows the Skycar to lift off straight upwards like a helicopter and Moller’s aim is to make the flying experience as simple as driving a car. There are presently two- and four-seat models in development using Rotapower rotary engines for their light weight and high power output.
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Samson Switchblade – First flight: 2018?
Oregon-based firm Samson has developed what it claims is the world’s fastest flying sports car. It has a cruising altitude of 13,000 feet and a 200mph top speed in the air. The Switchblade's top ground speed is in excess of 100mph. In ground mode, the car is 5.1 metres (201in) long, or the same length as the standard-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The car’s takeoff weight is 794kg (1747 lb).
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Samson Switchblade – First flight: 2018?
It’s powered by a Samson-developed 190bhp liquid-cooled 1.6-litre V4, running on 91 Octane fuel. In the air, it's claimed to have a range of around 450 miles from the 113-litre fuel tank (30 US gallons). The company claims to have received 667 orders. Pricing is in the region of US$136,000 – with another US$20,000 if you need help building it.
A full driving licence is required to operate the car on the roads and a private pilot’s licence is required to fly it. US law dictates that 51% of the vehicle must be built by the owner, given its experimental/homebuilt classification.
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Toyota Skydrive - First Flight: 2019?
With the might of Toyota behind its development, the Skydrive is aiming to help light the Olympic flame at the 2020 Tokyo games. Billed as a lightweight, small flying car to tackle urban congestion, the Skydrive was first designed by Cartivator before Toyota stepped in with additional funding. It uses four ducted fans similar to a drone and has a top speed of 95mph on the road and 62mph when airborne.
Compact dimensions make the Skydrive more viable for inner city use and the aim is to make it the smallest flying car on the market.
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Carplane - First Flight: 2019?
As if a flying car wasn’t a strange enough concept, Carplane’s design makes it stand out even more by featuring two fuselages. They are joined by the centre spar of the wings and the outer sections of wing fold into the middle between the two hulls when driving on the road. Carplane says this makes for the safest position for the wings and keeps the vehicle compact, with the tail also shortening to make it more wieldy on the road.
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Carplane - First Flight: 2019?
In the air, a rear-mounted propeller provides the forward motion and the Carplane takes off like a traditional aircraft on a runway.
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Xplorair PX200 - First Flight: 2020?
The French-developed Xplorair 200 is referred to as a flying car, but that has much more to do with the intention of its creators that it should be used without the need for a pilot’s licence. Using electronics to operate the flying controls, a driver simply has to point the Xplorair where to go. The plan is for it to be used in cities to alleviate congestion as, like many flying cars, it’s capable of vertical take-off and landing like a helicopter.
On the ground, small wheels limit how far and fast it can be moved, but in the air it’s claimed the top speed will be 125mph for the single-seat model. The first Xplorair could be on sale by 2025 with a price tag from $60,000 (£46,000).
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