Dutch Developers Show Off Gyrocopter Car

PAL-V Europe NV has begun flight tests of a two-seat, three-wheeled gyrocopter that can drive 750 miles like a car or fly as far as 315 miles. The Dutch company hopes to begin marketing the vehicle in Europe in 2014.

The PAL-V (short for personal air and land vehicle) is 13 feet long and about 5 feet tall when its tail and rotor assembly are stowed for on-road travel. The vehicle's body remains upright in low-speed maneuvers but banks like a motorcycle in higher-speed turns. Inside, the 1+1 seating is motorcycle-style.

Prepared for flight, the little vehicle resembles a small helicopter. But it is pushed through the air by a rear-facing, self-unfolding propeller and kept aloft by large, unpowered horizontal blades that are slowly rotated by air moving past them.

The car/plane was developed with help from the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory and Delft University. The design was finalized in 2008 and its on-ground performance tested a year later. The company began airborne tests a few weeks ago.

Developers say the 2,000-lb vehicle can become airborne in 154 feet and can be landed at low speed within 100 feet. A 214-hp gasoline engine provides a top speed of about 110 mph on land or in the air. The PAL-V can fly as high as 4,000 feet and maintain altitude at speeds as low as 31 mph, according to the developers.

Unlike a fixed-wing plane, the PAL-V cannot stall. But unlike a helicopter, it cannot hover or take off and land vertically. The vehicle can be switched between its car and plane configurations in 10 minutes. Owners can obtain a pilot's license in Europe with 20-40 hours of lessons, according to the company.

Click HERE to see a video of the PAL-V in action.