If you're a fan of the "Back to the Future" movies, you're probably expecting flying cars to become the norm by this time next year.
But the makers of the AeroMobil 3.0 say it will probably be more like 2016-17 (and as far as we can tell it won't be able to travel through time).
The fully operational protoype weighs just 450 kilograms and has a wingspan of 8 meters. It's said to have a flight range of 700 kilometers, so theoretically it could get you from Melbourne to Sydney in one go.
Along with dual navigation it also includes GPS, autopilot and an emergency parachute system.
"It's not a boy toy, it's not something strange from Hollywood movies," said AeroMobil CEO Juraj Vaculik. "It's really necessary for personal transportation. It's more efficient, it's more emotional and it's much faster."
As a car, it consumes 8 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, or 15 litres while airbourne.
"We don't want to make a flying car or a road aircraft. We would like to make a new category," explained its deigner Stefan Klein.
"This category is the same as a motorbike or car. We want to open a new vehicle which has the capability to be on the road as a non-handicapped car and in air as a non-handicapped aircraft, but it is necessary to open absolutely new category."
The makers said it has particular potential in countries with underdeveloped roads, or where light aircraft is already frequently used.
The hybrid still needs to meet regulatory standards as well as flight certification. But there's also the issue of a low demand for flying cars that are estimated to come with a six figure price tag.
The AeroMobil's altitude is limited to around 3,000 meters (any higher would require a pressurized cabin), and its makers are also trying to reduce the 200 meters of runway it needs to take off.
AeroMobil hopes that special runways will eventually be built at airports and near motorways and large cities.
SkyCruiser
The unveiling comes just days after a US-based company revealed it's working on an electric hybrid aircraft called the SkyCruiser.
This one doesn't need a runway - it takes off and lands like a helicopter, flies like an airplane and then upon landing, converts into a road vehicle.
Created by Arizona-based company Krossblade Aerospace Systems, the five-seater has a switchblade rotor system that enables it to vertically take off and land in small areas, and once it reaches flight altitude the rotors disengage and fold back in.
That's when the SkyCruiser shifts into airplane mode, where it will reportedly reach speeds of more than 500 kilometers per hour, with enough fuel efficiency to travel more than 1,600 kilometers, though at this stage the concept doesn't have a delivery date.
