Oh, patents! The Klein Vision AirCar (1)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Have you ever thought of flying past traffic? Well, this thought might no longer be an abstraction nurtured in the realm of science-fiction, cartoon animation or motion picture fantasy. The Klein Vision AirCar is here, and destined to be part of our futures.

In June 2021, the Slovak Klein Vision AirCar gracefully completed a thirty-five minute test flight, flying at an altitude of 8200 feet, at a cruising speed of 180 miles/hour, between the international airports of Nitra and Bratislava in Slovakia (BBC). As you can witness in the YouTube video below, the Klein Vision vehicle converted into an AirCar in a matter of minutes, used a runway for take-off. And, once landed on the destination runway, the Klein Vision AirCar reverted back to a four wheel land vehicle, small enough to fit inside a standard garage, and to continue cruising on a regular road for cars.

However, in order for the Klein Vision AirCar to be authorized on the market, it has to undergo at least 1 million hours of flight, with a passenger onboard and without an accident, for safety certification. Thus, even if all goes well, you won’t be flying over traffic quite so soon. Additionally, the Klein Vision AirCar also runs on fuel, which means that even if the Klein Vision AirCar uses no more than a small Cesna 172 plane, it might be running against the flow of solar power and climate change initiatives. Pressing initiatives (e.g., CERES), seeking to provide incentives for curbing the use of fossil fuel energy, for transportation, and in other sectors.

Several patent families are associated with the various aspects of the Klein Vision AirCar invention. For example the following 28 sample patents are members of a 52-patent family, all reciting the reciprocal transformation of the vehicle from automobile to aircraft, and from aircraft to automobile.

• SK6347Y1 (Slovakia) - Method of transformation of hybrid vehicles for land and air and hybrid vehicle.
• SK288242B6 (Slovakia) - Method of transformation of hybrid vehicles for land and air and hybrid vehicle.
• US9815345B2 (United States) - Transformation method of hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and hybrid transportation vehicle itself. 
• WO2013032409A1 (UN World Patent Organization) - Transformation method of hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and hybrid transportation vehicle itself. 
• EP2750905B1 (European Patent) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle. 
• KR101984332B1 (South Korea) - 지상 및 공중에서 사용하기 위한 하이브리드 수송용 운송 수단의 변형 방법 및 하이브리드 수송용 운송 수단
• JP6034382B2 (Japan) - 陸上および空中用のハイブリッド運搬用ビークルの変形方法およびハイブリッド運搬用ビークル
• ME02305B (Montenegro) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle. 
• EP2977239B1 (European Patent) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle. 
• SI2750905T1 (Slovenia) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle. 
• HUE026716T2 (Hungary) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle.
• ES2630202T3 (Spain) - Vehículo de transportación híbrido para tierra y aire, y método de transformación de tal vehículo
• CN103917388B (China) - 用于陆地和空中的混合式交通运输工具的转变方法以及该混合式交通运输工具
• UA111224C2 (Ukraine) - Method of transformation of a hybrid vehicle for earth and air and the hybrid vehicle use only.
• DK2750905T3 (Denmark) - Hybrid transport for earth and air and method for transforming such a transport.
• ES2555108T3 (Spain) - Vehículo de transportación híbrido para tierra y aire, y método de transformación de tal vehículo.
• AP2014007484A0 (ARIPO – African Intellectual Property Organization) - Transformation method of hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and hybrid transportation vehicle itself.
• PL2977239T3 (Poland) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle.
• PT2750905E (Portugal) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle.
• RS54387B1 (Serbia) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle.
• CN106379120B (China) - 用于混合式交通运输工具的转变方法以及该运输工具
• MX345302B (Mexico) - Método de transformación de un vehículo híbrido de transportación para tierra y aire, y vehículo híbrido de transporte
• IL231196A (Israel) - שיטת טרנספורמציה של רכב תחבורה היברידי לקרקע ואוויר ורכב התחבורה ההיברידי בעצמו
• ZA201401512B (South Africa) - Transformation method of hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and hybrid transportation vehicle itself.
• HK1217931A1 (Hong Kong) - 用於陸地和空中的混合式交通運輸工具以及該混合式交通運輸工具的轉變方法
• HRP20151285T1 (Croatia) - Hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air, and method of transforming such a vehicle.
• CY1117019T1 (Cyprus) - ΥΒΡΙΔΙΚΟ ΟΧΗΜΑ ΕΠΙΓΕΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΝΑΕΡΙΑΣ ΜΕΤΑΚΙΝΗΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ ΜΕΤΑΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΛΟΓΩ ΤΥΠΟΥ ΟΧΗΜΑΤΟΣ
• SMT201500304B (San Marino) - Terrestrial and air hybrid transport vehicle, and procedure for the transformation of such a vehicle.

References
CERES -  Transportation & Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P) 
https://www.ceres.org/our-work/state-policy/northeast/TCI
Kleinman, Z. (June 30, 2021) Flying car completes test flight between airports
 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57651843