We wrote excitedly about the PAL-V One back in early April, 2012. In retrospect, we should have been more careful about the fact that video of the vehicle’s maiden flight was uploaded to YouTube on April Fools’ Day, but we have a little saying in this business: “Write it really fast and then if stuff is wrong, fix it later. Or ignore it.” I think that’s what’s on the plaque. I can’t remember.
Anyway, this thing is definitely real. And what’s more, you can order it from Hammacher Schlemmer for $295,000.
Of course you can. If you ever want to be reassured that you’re not making enough money, cruise through the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog to look at all the unbelievable wonderment you can’t afford. I’m actually trying to run the numbers to see if I could somehow afford this flying car… aaaaand—nope. No can do. My calculator simply gave me the finger when I hit the equal sign, which was unexpected.
Anyway, here’s what you get if you have $295,000 burning a hole in your pocket: a three-wheeled motorcycle/car hybrid that goes 110+ miles per hour on the road and in the air, with a 220-mile flight range or a 750-mile road range.
Pull over and within 10 minutes, you’ll be converted and ready for takeoff. You’ll need a 540-foot runway for takeoff, a 100-foot runway for landing and a sports pilot license. Hammacher says this thing is “ideal for day trips from The Hamptons to Martha’s Vineyard,” which is a nice way of telling me I can’t afford this. See that, calculator? That’s how you let people down easy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgHSaNtAMjs]
The Helicycle [Hammacher Schlemmer]