PAL-V Liberty, a flying car!
A flying car?
PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) is a company in the Netherlands that developed without doubt the most exceptional vehicle on the market: PAL-V Liberty. This is the world’s first flying car production model. It offers the best of both worlds, flying and driving.
A car that can fly…. How? With rotating blades, a concept that we automatically associate with a helicopter. However, the PAL-V Liberty is not a helicopter. In flying mode the PAL-V Liberty is a gyroplane. The difference? The rotor of the helicopter is powered by an engine. The blades of the PAL-V Liberty are not powered. They are powered by the wind. As long there is airflow, they rotate. They act like a continuously open parachute.
A lighter weight for a longer flight range
Three things limit the range of a flying car: weight, energy efficiency and aerodynamics. But in practice it all comes down to weight – the lighter the vehicle the longer the range. The PAL-V Liberty’s lightweight design (665 kg empty weight) enables a range of 1,300 km driving or 400 km to 500 km flying. This varies of course with loading and wind conditions.
Light and safe, that sounds like Insulcon materials
For a better performance and conformity with the highest safety standards, PAL-V is working with high-end materials only. Light and of high-quality. And that is where Insulcon comes in the picture. Insulcon has contributed to the passive fire protection designs and solutions for the engine compartment. After a successful audit, Insulcon was added to the Approved Supplier List of PAL-V in May 2022. What a great achievement! Although it is not a main business for Insulcon, it is a great experience and a project to be proud of!
The first production models will come to market early 2023. We are looking forward to see the first flying drivers!
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