Are flying cars really the future? A car has flown for 35 minutes between two airports before landing and driving off down the road. But are these inventions really that helpful?
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Strap in! The flying car is finally here
Are flying cars really the future? A car has flown for 35 minutes between two airports before landing and driving off down the road. But are these inventions really that helpful?
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What's happening
The year is 2030. A man is driving along the motorway when he sees a huge traffic jam ahead.
"No problem!"
He pulls over and presses a button. In minutes, his car has transformed into a small plane. He takes off and zooms into the sky. Soon, the queue is miles away.
A hybridA mixture of two distinct species that combine to form one organism. car has taken off from one airport in SlovakiaA country in central Europe. Until 1993 it was part of Czechoslovakia. and landed 35 minutes later in another. Its inventor drove straight from the runway onto the road nearby.
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The invention is called the AirCar. It has a BMWA company that makes motor vehicles including cars and motorbikes. It is based in Munich, Germany. engine. It runs on the same kind of petrol as normal cars. It can carry two people and fly around 600 miles at a height of 2,500m.
When it lands, its wings fold up and into the car. It takes 2 minutes and 15 seconds to change from sports car to aircraft.
People have been trying to make flying cars for years. They have been in films, from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to James BondThe character was first created by author Ian Fleming in his 1953 book, Casino Royale. Since then, James Bond has been played by seven different actors in 26 films..
Now, after decades, they have finally arrived.
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But are they really the future?
Yes! Flying cars aren't limited to roads, tunnels or train tracks. They can go anywhere! Nobody will need to travel in a plane with lots of other travellers. There won't be traffic jams because there is so much space in the sky. They will make life more fun. What's better than zooming off for a trip and looking down on the world from above?
No! Flying cars would clutter the skies. There could be accidents because there are no road signs or maps. And they would get in the way and disturb people. We should be more excited about the hyperloop that will take you from Edinburgh to London in 30 minutes - or electric planes that will help the environment.
Keywords
Hybrid - A mixture of two distinct species that combine to form one organism.
Slovakia - A country in central Europe. Until 1993 it was part of Czechoslovakia.
BMW - A company that makes motor vehicles including cars and motorbikes. It is based in Munich, Germany.
James Bond - The character was first created by author Ian Fleming in his 1953 book, Casino Royale. Since then, James Bond has been played by seven different actors in 26 films.
Strap in! The flying car is finally here
Glossary
Hybrid - A mixture of two distinct species that combine to form one organism.
Slovakia - A country in central Europe. Until 1993 it was part of Czechoslovakia.
BMW - A company that makes motor vehicles including cars and motorbikes. It is based in Munich, Germany.
James Bond - The character was first created by author Ian Fleming in his 1953 book, Casino Royale. Since then, James Bond has been played by seven different actors in 26 films.