Pal-V One

Side view of Pal-V in front of brick building.

Pal-V air and land vehicle.

It is basically a motorcycle-trike-car-gyrocopter. Yep, that’s what it is and here’s why you need it.

Imagine the lights went out and three days later they still haven’t come back on. There’s rioting in the streets and the freeways are clogged. Last word was a cascading failure of services. The shit has hit the fan. Now imagine avoiding traffic jams, crossing lakes, rivers and mountain ranges like by soaring overhead, landing in the outback and driving the last mile to your bug out cabin. That’s one way you could be bugging out but only if you’ve got a Pal-V One from Pal-V Europe NV sitting in your garage.

The Pal-V One’s body is closed off to the elements so you get the comfort of a car. But sporting three wheels and a computer controlled tilting system, driving the Pal-V One feels just like riding a motorcycle; the whole body of the vehicle banks in corners, just like a motorcycle. The tilting is essential because it allows for safe driving in spite of a high center of gravity and narrow aerodynamic shape.

How it works? Get your loved one, stow your bug out bags, drive to a decent stretch of road, and … take about 10 minutes to setup the flying parts of the car. Have your loved one keep an eye out for marauders while you do this, that’s why love ‘m. When you’re done hop in, buckle up, and hit it. After about 165 m (540ft) of speeding down that stretch you should go souring.

In the unlikely event of engine failure, don’t worry. You won’t come crashing down, as the Pal-V will gently descend to the ground until you land. This feature is one of the selling points for gyrocopters in general. The blades will keep turning as long as the vehicle has some forward speed. Unlike a helicopter, it’s not the blades that create lift and forward motion. It’s forward motion, created by a small rear-mounted propeller, which spins the blades, thus creating lift.

Some specs:
Occupants: 2
Max road speed: 180 kph (112 mph)
Max air speed: 180 kph (79 kts)
Take-off range: 200 m
Range: 1200 km (750 miles)
Flight range: 350 – 500 km (220 – 315 miles)
0-100 kph (0-60 mph):


Pros:
Fairly safe, since you can descend with the auto-rotating blades in an emergency.
Enough space for 2 people, so you can bug out with a loved one.
Slick looking, let’s be honest, no date will go wrong in this thing.

Cons:
10 minutes conversion time between driving and flying and vice versa.
Not EMP proof.