27 September 2022
Flying car developer PAL-V has opened a UK base at London Oxford Airport.
The PAL-V Liberty is a gyrocopter with rotors which unfold from its roof for flying, then becomes a car for road use. PAL-V stands for ‘Personal Air and Land Vehicle’.
The base at Oxford is headed by Sales Director Andy Wall. It will be home to the UK’s first ‘fly drive’ simulator, bookable via appointment. Here, would-be purchasers can become familiar with the vehicle.
Netherlands-based PAL -V International first started collaborating with EASA over 10 years ago to help the Agency determine certification standards for a car that turns into a light rotorcraft. Recently, the business, which employs over 120 people, started compliance demos to obtain its type certificate under EASA’s CS-27 status.
Andy Wall said, “London Oxford Airport offers PAL-V the space to grow as we commence our pre-launch activities. It is in the heart of the motoring industry and easily accessible to London. The team at the airport have been superb and very adaptable to our needs and there is great synergy with established tenant companies there.”
Head of Business Development at the airport, James Dillon-Godfray, added, “We are delighted to host PAL-V at London Oxford Airport – an extraordinary, innovative aircraft that opens up a whole raft of opportunities and applications, not just pure fun!
“It’s a natural fit here, especially when you consider we are at the hub of the UK’s multi-billion motorsports and high-performance automotive engineering industry. A a hi-tech ‘flying car’ probably appeals significantly to some of our Oxfordshire client base.”
Initial production of the PAL-V will be sold to the Benelux, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and UK, widening out to the rest of Europe, North America and then into Middle East and Asia.
The PAL-V Liberty seats two people in a fully enclosed cockpit. It can transition between road and air transport modes inside six minutes with its rotors secured into the vehicle. In drive mode, the Liberty has been designed for a max speed of around 160km/h and a max range of 1315km. In flight mode max cruise speed is 180 km/h with max range of 400 to 500 km (equivalent to three hours with 30 mins’ reserve fuel).
