October 3, 2007 12:41 PM PDT

Pigs Cars might fly: PAL-V flying three-wheeler due by 2011

Posted by Kevin Massy

(Credit: PAL-V Europe)

We're all about blue-sky thinking here at Crave, and this is some of the bluest we've seen. From the drawing board of Dutch inventor John Bakker comes the personal air and land vehicle (PAL-V), a cross between a Carver One three-wheeler and an autogyro that can be driven and flown at speeds as high as 200 kmh (125 mph).

While on the road, the gasoline- or biodiesel-powered machine relies on the same Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC) system that enables the Carver to tilt when cornering. For flight, it uses the DVC combined with a gyrocopter rotor blade, which can be folded above the roof when the vehicle is grounded. According to Bakker's company (PAL-V Europe), the PAL-V will create enough lift to take it to an altitude of 1,500 meters. And while no actual photos of the flying three-wheeler are available, PAL-V Europe says that it has started work on a commercial prototype, and that a production version--dubbed the PAL-V One--is expected to go on sale in 2011 with a price tag of around $141,000 (100,000 Euros).

Via: Jalopnik