Flying cars to solve congestion

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A plane-car hybrid could be on sale within 20 years according to aircraft industry leaders.

Scientists at the 2008 Electric Aircraft Symposium in California believe a flying car could be a production reality.

Boeing, famous for its 747 jumbo jet, is working on a flying car that would have a range of 300 miles in the air, on the ground, or a mix of the two.

Richard Jones is leading the project at Boeing and said: "I'm talking about making aviation available to everyone as a daily means of transport."

Jones says a compact car-plane hybrid would be easier to fly than current small planes as technology will allow the plane to do much of the hard work.

He says the average driver will be able to fly without special training as the plane would have an in-built flight instructor.

The plane-car will use an electric engine to make it clean and green.

Slovenian firm Pipistrel is also set to launch an electric plane, called the Taurus Electro.

This £67,000 flyer could be the world's first commercial two-seater, electrically-powered plane and is reckoned to be a major step towards more easily available personal flying transport.

Brien Seeley, of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Foundation, said: "The electric aircraft promises to solve congestion problems and produce real enlightenment with new technology and a rebirth of personal aviation travel."

Alisdair Suttie

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