Want a Flying Motorcycle? You can get one in a couple years.

The three wheel design, along with a carbon fiber body, allows you to lean into turns.

The three wheel design, along with a carbon fiber body, allows you to lean into turns.

For as long as people have tried to develop a flying car, I am a little surprised that no one has succeeded yet.  There have been some models that had short lives, but nothing that has really entered the market and stayed there for awhile.

That being said, modern technology is helping companies to get closer and closer.  I believe it was just last year that there was quite the buzz around Terrafugia and there flying car that is in development.  It looks pretty promising, but they haven’t had much to say since last year when they announced their plans to develop an electric VTOL (vertical take off and landing) version.

Maybe that has been the problem to this point.  These companies are looking so far into the future that they don’t create anything of real value to the customer right now.

On the other hand, PAL-V (personal air and land vehicle) out of The Netherlands has a pretty cool gyrocopter/motorcycle that is probably the most realistic option I have seen.  The PAL-V One is not only multi-functional, but it looks pretty cool too.

 

After a short 10 minute transition you can fly off into the sunset.

After a short 10 minute transition you can fly off into the sunset.

You can find more of the specific details about the PAL-V One in this BBC article, or on the company website, including lots of cool pictures and videos.

Oh yeah, just in case you thought you could save your lunch money to buy one, they are going for just under $400,000.  For that much you could buy a decent little plane, and a nice car, but what would be the fun in that?  You’ll also have to wait until some time in 2016 to have it delivered, but it is probably worth the wait.