Terrafugia Transition 'flying car' gets go-ahead from US air authorities

[Hazcat]

The Terrafugia Transition, a light aircraft that can convert into a road-legal automobile, is to go into production after being given a special weight exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

By Tom Chivers
Published: 12:56PM BST 29 Jun 2010

The Transition was designed as a "light sport" aircraft, the smallest kind of private aeroplane under FAA classification, with a maximum weight of 1,320lb. But the manufacturers found it impossible to fit the safety features - airbags, crumple zones and roll cage, for instance - that are required for road vehicles into that weight.

Uniquely, however, the FAA has granted the Transition an exemption - allowing it to be classified as a light sport aircraft despite being 120lb over the limit.
 
Light sport aircraft licences require just 20 hours' flying time, making them much easier to obtain than full private licences.

The two-seater Transition can use its front-wheel drive on roads at ordinary highway speeds, with wings folded, at a respectable 30 miles per gallon. Once it has arrived at a suitable take-off spot - an airport, or adequately sized piece of flat private land - it can fold down the wings, engage its rear-facing propellor, and take off. The folding wings are electrically powered.

Its cruising speed in the air is 115mph, it has a range of 460 miles, and it can carry 450lb. It requires a 1,700-foot (one-third of a mile) runway to take off and can fit in a standard garage.

Terrafugia says that one of the major advantages of the Transition over ordinary light aircraft is safety - in the event of inclement weather, it can simply drive home instead of either being grounded or flying in unsafe conditions.

The company says that 70 people have ordered the car, leaving a $10,000 (£6,650) deposit each. The car is expected to retail at $194,000 (£129,000). Deposits are held in escrow, meaning that should the company go bankrupt before delivery, the money will be refunded.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7860966/Terrafugia-Transition-flying-car-gets-go-ahead-from-US-air-authorities.html

Video at link

Here is a link to their site:

http://www.terrafugia.com/  (more info and vids here)

[BAC]

I'm not holding my breath.  They've been promising flying cars since the '30s.  If it makes the cover of Popular Mechanics it will be the kiss of death.   

[Solus]

Yeah...every block would have a landing strip if the early predictions had been correct.

But it does look like a nice design.  Pretty good visibility for a low wing.  Note how far back the main wing is giving good low visibility forward and directly below the pilot.  The canard wing is need with the main wing rearward.

Bad point is the 430lb useful weight.  With 300lb of passengers, 130lb of gear doesn't seem like a lot, unless you are only packing clothes.  If you and your 200 lb buddy rack up 400lb of passenger weight, 30lbs of baggage won't cut it at all.

But, like we found, you can UPS your gear ahead and pick it up at your destination.

Next time I find I have $200k extra under my mattress, I'll see how far down the waiting list I am.

[Big Frank]

It probably handles like a car in the air and a plane on the road.

[sledgemeister]

I am sorry unless the manufacturer installs a big ass parachute that deploys from its top, aint no way this little black duck would put his bum in it.

[Sponsor]

[Hazcat]

I am sorry unless the manufacturer installs a big ass parachute that deploys from its top, aint no way this little black duck would put his bum in it.

There is an optional full car parachute!

[Solus]

There is an optional full car parachute!

If Little Black Ducks were meant to fly, their car/planes would have parachutes 

[tombogan03884]

They have been marketing an aircraft parachute system for the last 10 or 15 years.
They even make a system for a 747. (The model for small planes, Cessna 172 etc is one chute, for larger A/C they add more and larger chutes.)

[r_w]

I'm not holding my breath.  They've been promising flying cars since the '30s.  If it makes the cover of Popular Mechanics it will be the kiss of death.   

Ain't that the truth.