The state’s 2024 transportation policy bill, which was signed by Governor Tim Walz in May and includes a measure that would categorize roadable aircraft as motor vehicles, went into effect Thursday, allowing cars that can take to the sky using wings or propellers to drive on the highway.

Minnesota joins New Hampshire as the only states to pass what legislators are dubbing “Jetsons laws.”

The measure defines roadable aircraft as “any aircraft capable of taking off and landing from a suitable airfield which is also designed to be driven on public roadways as a motor vehicle.”

“This is how we get to the future of flying cars, which sounds awesome to me,” said Minnesota State Representative Nolan West, a Republican, in March.

On the other hand, Democratic State Representative Larry Kraft said the vehicles should face further scrutiny before hitting the roads, citing fuel use and urban sprawl.

So far, there are no vehicles that are certified as roadable aircraft in the U.S., though several companies are developing what they describe as flying cars.

Samson Sky, for example, is building the “street-legal” Switchblade, a three-wheel design intended to drive as fast as 125 mph and cruise in the air at 139 knots. A Samson analyst provided input to the Minnesota Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee as the flying car bill was taking shape, and the company is pushing for similar legislation elsewhere.

Other drive-and-fly vehicle manufacturers include Alef Aeronautics and Aska, both of which have obtained FAA special airworthiness certification to begin flight testing, Doroni Aerospace, and Terrafugia.

By and large, the companies’ designs are geared toward personal, recreational flight. Owners could drive out of their garage to an airport, where they could take off and fly to a nearby destination like the beach.

Some firms, like Samson and Alef, have reported preorder sales worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Similar personal flying vehicles, such as Pivotal’s BlackFly or Lift Aircraft’s Hexa, have drawn attention and funding from the U.S. military.

The new Minnesota law classifies roadable aircraft as motor vehicles, allowing them to be driven on public roadways. They will need to adhere to FAA regulations in the sky and at airports and follow the rules of transportation regulators on the ground.

The vehicles must take off and land only at airfields and restricted landing areas. Gliding into an interstate landing, for example, would be considered a misdemeanor unless it were an emergency situation—an exception that exists for aircraft in most states.

In lieu of license plates, flying cars driving on public roadways will require registration decals clearly visible in the front and rear. The decals, provided by the state’s transportation commissioner via application, will include the make and model of the vehicle and federally issued tail number. Owners must also register the vehicle with the state as an aircraft. Drivers will be prohibited from unfurling wing and tail components on the road.

Although several flying car manufacturers have already opened the preorder process, roadable aircraft are likely still years away from taking to the road or sky.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, which similarly mesh two vehicle types—winged aircraft and rotorcraft—have yet to get off the ground despite some manufacturers having begun development more than a decade ago.

The long runway to commercial eVTOL service is due not just to the complexity of designing, building, and testing the aircraft. There’s also plenty of regulatory confusion about how to classify the vehicles and set rules around pilot training, maintenance, and operation.

Flying car manufacturers are attempting to combine two even more disparate vehicles and operate under the domain of multiple transportation regulators, which would seemingly add to the complexity of the path they face. They also lack the backing of the largest eVTOL manufacturers, some of which have raised north of $1 billion.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Minnesota’s ‘Jetson Law’ Green-Lights Flying Cars on Roads appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Aska, the Mountain View, California-based startup developing a car, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), fixed-wing glider amalgamation, this week completed the first airborne tests of its full-scale A5 flying car prototype. The successful test run comes about a month after the company received the green light for flight testing from the FAA.

The full-scale prototype, about the size of an SUV when in driving configuration, has not yet flown on its fixed wings. But tethered to the ground at a California airfield, the A5 this week took off with hovered thrust for the first time.

Founded by husband and wife duo Guy and Maki Kaplinsky in 2018, Aska unveiled its first A5 prototype—billed as a “street legal eVTOL”—just one year later. Now, the company is looking to certify the vehicle, which is expected to cost $789,000, ahead of a planned 2026 launch.

“It was an incredible feeling of accomplishment for the team to reach this new milestone,” said Guy Kaplinsky, CEO of Aska. “This moment represents a giant leap for the aviation and automotive industries. Having accomplished the first series of hover flight testing as well as driving testing, Aska is a pioneer in the field of electric flying cars with VTOL capabilities.”

The Design

The Aska A5 was first unveiled in January before a crowd at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Designed to carry three passengers and a pilot over a distance of up to 250 sm (217 nm) at 130 knots, the “drive-and-fly” vehicle isn’t the prettiest. But it’s packed with functionality.

On the road, its rounded cabin sits atop four wheels, with an array of wings and rotors folded on top. In this configuration, the A5 is about the size of an SUV and can fit in a standard parking spot, but early models will be limited to local roads and last-mile transport. Before takeoff, the wings and rotors unfold, transforming the vehicle into a small airplane.

But for the flying car skeptics out there, the A5’s greatest advantage is its malleability. 

Not only can the vehicle drive like a car and fly like an airplane—it can also take off like a helicopter. Unlike rival Alef Aeronautics’ Model A, which is expected to take off directly from the road, Aska designed the A5 to make use of existing infrastructure, including helipads and vertiports. 

With its six independent motors, the vehicle can lift off vertically, like the air taxis being developed by Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and others. But with in-wheel motors, aerodynamic wings, and the blown-lift thrust of its propellers, it can also conduct short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations from a runway.

“We are working with local airports in the [San Francisco] Bay Area to test and confirm our concept of operations—they open the gate, Aska A5 drives in as a car, drives/taxis to the helipad or runway, transforms into the flight mode, and can take off,” explained Maki Kaplinsky, chair and COO of Aska.

Aska expects the A5 to make use of other infrastructure too. The vehicle runs primarily on lithium-ion batteries that can be juiced up at a standard electric vehicle charging station. But it also features a range extender that charges the batteries in flight, which can be fueled with premium automobile gasoline (mogas) from any gas station.

Initially, the A5 will be piloted, but Guy Kaplinsky predicted it may fly autonomously as soon as 2030. Before then, Aska plans to lease it to pilots and launch a flying car rideshare service.

What’s Next?

Witnessing the A5’s maiden flight was probably an overwhelmingly exciting moment for the Aska team. But above all, the test represented the next step toward FAA type certification.

“This first liftoff was a true accomplishment and years of engineering design and analysis became a reality,” said Maki Kaplinsky. “We are closely working with the FAA to ensure continued excellent progress with our flight testing. We will continue the optimization of hovering and VTOL. The next phase will be working toward transition into cruise and STOL.”

This week’s flights do not count towards certification. But without them, Aska won’t be able to get to the flights that do.

The A5 first hit the streets in 2022, moving to public roads in the Silicon Valley area earlier this year after receiving permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Already, it’s driven more than 300 miles.

In June, the vehicle obtained a certificate of authorization and special airworthiness certificate from the FAA, becoming one of the first flying car designs to do so. Now, Aska is eyeing a G-1 certification basis, the same criteria awarded to Joby, Archer, and Lilium in the past 12 months.

Aska opened preorder reservations for the A5 in 2021. Prospective customers can pay $5,000 for a position on the queue, and according to the company, those reservations so far would net it $50 million if they were realized today. At $789,000 per vehicle, that equates to around 63 preorders.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Aska Completes First Test Flight of Its ‘Street Legal eVTOL’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Following Alef Aeronautics’ announcement that its eVTOL-car hybrid received an experimental special airworthiness certificate, another Jetsonian firm, Mountain View, California-based Aska, has obtained the same FAA approval. Now, Aska’s preproduction four-seater A5, first unveiled in January at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, has the green light for expanded flight testing.

A special airworthiness certificate is a key step in any company’s quest to certificate an aircraft because it enables the validation of technology to progress. But so far, only a handful of companies billing themselves as flying car manufacturers (such as Alef, Terrafugia, and Samson Sky) have attained this stage.

An Amalgamation

Aska’s A5 is unique compared to the aforementioned companies’ offerings. As currently designed, Samson Sky’s Switchblade and Terrafugia’s Transition leverage fixed wings for runway takeoff, while Alef’s Model A uses propellers for VTOL. The A5, though, combines those configurations and takeoff methods.

Billed as a “street legal eVTOL,” the A5 is an amalgamation. On the road, its rounded cabin sits on four wheels, with a collection of wings and rotors folded on top. Roughly the size of an SUV, it’s compact enough to fit in a garage or a parking spot. Early models will be limited to local roads and are best-suited for the “last mile” of transportation.

Before takeoff, the A5’s wings—with rotors in the middle and on either end—unfold, transforming the vehicle into a small fixed-wing airplane. That enables some pretty unique capabilities. Like the Switchblade or the Transition, the A5 is built for short takeoff and landing (STOL) from a runway. But like the Model A, it can also take off and land vertically from an area the size of a helipad.

And with in-wheel motors, its wheels can be positioned outside the fuselage, providing more cabin space (enough for a pilot and three passengers) and better aerodynamics in flight, the company claims.

In the air, the vehicle’s large wings allow it to glide and land safely. And six independent motors provide additional thrust, giving it a range of 250 miles (217 nm) and a top speed of 150 mph (130 knots). In case of emergency, the cabin also includes a ballistic parachute.

For propulsion, the A5 combines lithium-ion batteries with a range extender engine, which runs on premium gasoline and provides charge to the batteries during flight. The hybrid-electric configuration gives it enough reserve flight time to meet FAA requirements. And conveniently, you can juice up the A5’s batteries either at home or at a public charging station.

For now, the A5 needs someone to pilot it. But according to Guy Kaplinsky, co-founder and CEO, it may fly autonomously as soon as 2030. Before then, the company plans to offer a rideshare service by leasing vehicles to pilots.

What’s Next?

Certifying a “fly and drive” vehicle will be an uphill battle—just ask any of the air taxi manufacturers that have spent years trying to certify a less complex design. But when (or if) the A5 gets FAA approval, it has one key advantage—it won’t require additional infrastructure to fly.

“One of the significant advantages of a roadworthy eVTOL, like the Aska A5, is that it does not require the modification or electrification of existing airports since it can maximize the use of today’s infrastructure, such as the many charging stations located around us,” explained Maki Kaplinsky, co-founder, chair and COO of Aska. “We are working with local airports in the Bay Area to test and confirm our concept of operations—they open the gate, Aska A5 drives in as a car, drives/taxis to the helipad or runway, transforms into the flight mode, and can take off.”

Amazingly, Aska’s design took just five years to get to this stage. Founded in 2018, the company released the first A5 prototype in 2019. The following year, it signed a five year Space Act agreement with NASA to participate in its AAM National Campaign. By 2022, ground testing in a controlled environment began, expanding to the streets of Los Altos and Palo Alto by the first quarter of 2023.

Simultaneously, the company has been progressing through the FAA’s type certification process. The agency accepted Aska through its intake board in November. Now, just a few months later, the firm is eyeing a G-1, which would provide the basis for A5 certification. Archer, Joby, and Lilium have all received G-1s in the past year.

“The data we are harvesting from flight testing is enabling us to make progress towards our type certification,” said Guy Kaplinsky. “We already completed the initial phase and are progressing towards our next milestone, G1 status.”

Aska opened preorders for the A5 in 2021, with prospective users paying $5,000 to get on the queue. The vehicle will ultimately cost $789,000, and initial deliveries are expected in 2026. But if that price tag seems high, the firm also plans to offer a shared ownership service, On The Fly, wherein participants can split the cost. When realized, Aska’s preorders would amount to $50 million, the company said.

The post Flying Car Manufacturer Aska Nabs FAA Flight Test Signoff appeared first on FLYING Magazine.