飛行汽車在2017年即將上市

　　If Back to the Future 2 holds your standards for technology there are a lot of things we should have by now -- one of them being flying cars. But while modified DeLoreans haven’t dotted the skies, Slovakia-based AeroMobil says we’ll be seeing flying cars on the markets soon as 2017.

　　如果“回到未來2”讓你對科技有了新的標準,那么我們現在應該有很多東西——其中之一就是,飛行汽車。然而改良后的羅德寧還未形成燎原之勢,斯洛伐克的AeroMobil公司就已聲明,飛行汽車在2017年即將上市！

　　Speaking at SXSW Interactive 2015, AeroMobil co-founder and CEO Juraj Vaculik talked about his company’s vision for a future where flying cars are just as ubiquitous as planes, trains, and standard automobiles.

　　在2015年西南偏南交流大會上的講話中,AeroMobil的聯合創始人兼總裁尤拉伊·瓦庫利克談論到他們公司對飛行汽車未來的展望時說,它們將會像飛機、火車及標準汽車一樣普遍存在。

　　The company has already unveiled a prototype for its "Flying Roadster," the AeroMobil 3.0. The two-seater functions as both a car and personal airplane, measuring at about 328 x 236 inches in airplane mode and 88 x 236 inches in car mode with its wings collapsed -- thin enough but too long to qualify as a compact car in the US.

　　該公司已經發布了飛行跑車AeroMobil 3.0的原型。這輛雙開門跑車既可以當汽車開又可以變身為私人飛機,其大小尺寸,在飛機模式時僅為328 x 236英寸,收起雙翼變為汽車模式時僅為88 x 236英寸,雖寬度合適但長度有余,所以在美國不能稱之為小型汽車。

　　The steel framework, carbon coating construction has a Rotax 912 engine under the hood with a top speed of 124 mph when flying and 99 mph on the road -- though Vaculik said the final version may be faster. The vehicle has a 81 mph takeoff speed.

　　這款車內部是鋼架結構,外部是碳涂層,配置Rotax 912航空引擎,飛行時最高時速可達124英里,路面行駛最高時速可達99英里,但是瓦庫利克說它的最終版本速度將會更快。該車的起飛速度可達81英里/時。

　　Vaculik also emphasized the AeroMobil 3.0’s need for only 650 ft for takeoff and 160 ft to land -- meaning the vehicle can land in a field of grass or onto existing highways without the need for new or special airports.

　　瓦庫利克同時強調AeroMobil 3.0僅需要650次的起飛測試和160次的降落測試,意味著這部車可以降落草地、現有的高速公路上,無需新的或特殊的機場。

　　He didn’t comment on the effect that having planes landing on the highways might have on rush-hour traffic but did say that AeroMobil is initially targeting medium-distance travel. As a plane the AeroMobil 3.0 has a reported range of 435 miles and 545 miles on the road.

　　他沒有談到讓飛機降落到高速公路上會對上下班高峰期產生影響,但是他說AeroMobil的最初定位是中等距離的行程。據報道,AeroMobil 3.0在天空可飛行435英里,在地面可行駛545英里。

　　It won’t take you cross country but it is plenty for a trip from say, LA to Vegas. Vaculik said the vehicle also runs on regular gasoline so there will be no need to find a special refueling spot.

　　它也許不能帶你橫穿整個國家,但是帶著你從洛杉磯到維加斯卻是綽綽有余。瓦庫利克說,這部車加普通汽油也可正常行駛,所以不存在到處跑著找特殊燃料站點的問題。

　　While the Flying Roadster is still in development -- the working prototype is currently undergoing recommends real flight testing -- Vaculik was confident his company could hit its 2017 mark.

　　雖然飛行汽車還處在發展階段,但樣機模型目前已經在進行真實的飛行測試——瓦庫利克非常自信他們公司可以達成2017年的目標。

　　What’s more, the company isn’t just stopping at flying cars -- it wants them to be self-driving/self-flying someday, as well. Vaculik said this would only be the logical next step.

　　而且,該公司不會止步于飛行汽車,還要實現無人駕駛/飛行。瓦庫利克說這是很合乎邏輯的下一步。

　　He did not confirm if his company is currently developing such a product but said such a vehicle could take advantage of autonomous car and plane technology already available, including vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

　　他沒有證實目前他們公司是否在研發這款產品,但是他說,這款利用自動駕駛汽車、飛機技術和車輛對車輛的通訊技術的汽車,是可實現的。

　　AeroMobil recommends a private pilot license for its Flying Roadster but said a sport pilot license should be sufficient for early models. Right now the prototype qualifies as a Light Sports Aircraft under US regulations and as a Ultra Light aircraft in the EU.

　　AeroMobil公司建議為他們的飛行汽車推出私人飛行員執照,但是據說飛行員執照對初期型號來說是足夠的。目前這輛飛行汽車原型在美國被看作輕型飛機,在歐盟被看作是超輕型飛機。

　　But those excited at the possibility of flying your car to Thanksgiving dinner in two years should start saving now. The company is initially targeting the Flying Roadster at elite consumers and expects the vehicle to retail in the several hundred thousand dollar range commiserate with high-end sports car and sport aircraft prices.

　　但是那些幻想在兩年之內,駕駛著飛行汽車直接飛到感恩節餐桌旁的小伙伴們,該醒醒了。該公司的飛行汽車最初定位是精英消費者,為了向高端跑車和輕型飛機表示同情,預計零售價也就在數十萬美元之內吧。