PAL-V One: Future Fantasy Trike

A descendent of technology first introduced in the 1920s, the PAL-V One—cynically referred to as a 'tricycle helicopter' and a 'flying tricycle'—recently completed a proof-of-concept test flight that garnered responses from opposite ends of the critical spectrum.

General

• Type: Flying car
• Class: Motorcycle
• Manufacturer: PAL-V Europe NV
• Tailpipe emissions: Yes
• Price: NA
• Availability: 2011

Road

• Top Speed: 125 mph (180 km/h)
• Zero-to-60: 8 seconds
• Vehicle range: 500 miles (800 km)
• Fuel(s): Conven tional gasoline
• Fuel efficiency: 38 mpg

Flight

• Maximum speed: 97 knots (127 mph, 185 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 80 knots (93 mph, 150 km/h)
• Maximum rate of climb: 800 feet/minute
• Range: 245 NM (280 miles, 450 km)

The manufacturer says

"PAL-V Europe NV is building everybody’s dream in mobility: a full-fledged flying and driving vehicle, the PAL-V One …a solution to increasing congestion

in our cities, highways and skyways."

Overview

Dutch-based manufacturer PAL-V Europe is led by mechanical engineer John Bakker who, after several years of R & D, produced the PAL-V One ('Personal Air and Land Vehicle'), a single-passenger, three-wheeled vehicle with a three-pronged approach to transportation and technology, incorporating a car, a motorcycle, and a gyrocopter.

On the ground, the driver folds away both rotor and propeller in order to drive the roads, although no indication is given as to how long this transition might take. On the road, the PAL-V One incorporates the Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC™) technology pioneered in the 3-wheeled Carver One and later, the Persu Mobility Hybrid. Safe take-off requires a space of around 650 feet x 100 feet (200x30 meters). During take-off, a foldable pusher propeller provides the propulsion required for autorotation while the rotor provides the necessary lift. In flight, autorotation means the rotor is not dependent on the engine, but on aerodynamic forces; thus in theory the pilot is protected from catastrophic engine failure. Since the PAL-V One is a gyroplane, it offers the pilot control over pitch, roll and yaw; the first two by way of tilting the rotor, the last (yaw) by way of a rudder—controls familiar to pilots of fixed wing aircraft.