Bangalorean gives wings to an idea

It seems that no amount of sub-ways, flyovers and signal-free junctions can ease Bangalore’s exasperating traffic jams. There are moments when, stuck in a long traffic jam, you wish to fly over the bumper-to-bumper traffic. May be you could, in the future, with the help of a flying car.

A 64-year-old Bangalorean is busy working on a concept that could signal an end to Bangalore’s perennial traffic jams: a flying car.

AK Vishwanath, currently CEO of a Bangalore-based company, has been working on a flying car which can take off vertically from the road. “The whole idea is to develop a flying car. In order to demonstrate this, I will be working on four different flying models. The first being a bicycle, the second a scooter, the third an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and the fourth being the car itself,” Vishwanath told DNA.

Vishwanath, who has invested about Rs40 lakhs for the last 10 years in order to realise his dream, said the first flight of the bicycle would take place this month, the scooter and the ATV would follow in the next two months followed by the car’s maiden flight.

Though the Aero India is round the corner, Vishwanath said he would not be showcasing his product; instead he would target the Paris and the Moscow Air shows, which will be held later this year. “Unfortunately, my work is short by four months to showcase it during the Aero India. Though the proof of the principle is correct, it would not be correct to showcase the product before the public,” said Vishwanath, who had displayed a Maruti 800 during the 2011 edition of the airshow. Vishwanath had paid $275 per square metre for showcasing his product at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka.

Vishwanath said the car he had displayed then was titled as Vish 1.0 and the one which he is working on would be known as Vish 2.0.