Turkey's first flying car takes off successfully for maiden test flight

Turkey’s first flying car, Cezeri, was successfully tested in Istanbul.

Designed and manufactured by Turkish engineers, the 230kg prototype ascended to 10 metres during its flight tests, manufacturer Baykar said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We will make more advanced prototypes in the upcoming process, and perform flights with a human [on board],” Selcuk Bayraktar, the chief technology officer, was quoted as saying.

Bayraktar added that it would take an estimated 10-15 years for Cezeri to hit the air and 3-4 years to use for recreational purposes such as quad bikes in rural areas.

“After smart cars, the revolution in automotive technology will be in flying cars. So from this point of view, we are preparing for tomorrow's races, rather than today's,” he added.

Last September, Cezeri was displayed at Teknofest, the Turkish technology and aerospace fair.

The car is named after Ismail al Jazari, a renowned 12th-century Muslim engineer and polymath.

Baykar, established in 1984, produces armed and non-armed drones, control systems, simulators, and avionics systems.