FLYING taxis in Russia – but would you be brave enough to catch one?

Hoversurf, the firm behind the hoverbike, has unveiled the ‘Formula Project’ – a car with fold-out wings which could help beat traffic jams.

Using similar technology to its hoverbike the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle can seat up to five people and is powered by 52 turbine propulsion units and 48 electric thrusters.

The body is made up of 3D printed carbon fibre and metals, and thanks to its fold away wings, it can fit into a standard garage or parking space.

Hoversurf says that the vehicle, which navigates using 3D vision technology, is “ready to use in real world”.

It says on its website: “Do you know the problem of all projects of flying cars? They are all made for the future. 

“None of them you can not use today. Impossible to parked at the store or put in a garage.

“Formula – is created for the present day. You will not notice how quickly it will become a part of your life – conveniently and safely.”

Hoversurf adds that the vehicle is failsafe: “Unlike other S/VTOL, these systems are independent.

“If the wing breaks out, the copter will land. If the copter breaks, the plane will land.”

It goes on to say that it uses electric turbines to fly the vehicle “based on the Venturi effect.

“The meaning of this effect is that ordinary atmospheric air is drawn into the turbine outlet by injection, creating an additional flow and reducing the noise of a high-speed jet flow inside the low speed flow.”

Hoversurf is not the only company attempting to make flying cars.

Airbus has unveiled plans to create a vehicle which is part self-driving and part drone.

The futuristic vehicle is essentially a pod that sits upon a wheeled-platform, and if, for example, the driver gets stuck in traffic, then the upper part can detach from the wheels and release its propellers, allowing it to take off.

Airbus says the concept could help ease traffic congestion in the busiest cities.

The car is “designed to be coupled with two different and independent electric propelled modules (the ground module and the air module)”.