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Flying Car Gets Closer To Production

Filed under: Wings


When it comes to flying cars, it looks like the Transition from Terrafugia might be one of the ones most likely to actually be available to consumers soon. We've been following this story for a couple of years along with some other projects but the engineers behind this one have persevered where others have failed.. In 2006 some graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology began working on the Transition Personal Air Vehicle. The two-seater craft can go from being a plane to a car in less than 30 seconds. The wings can be quickly folded and stowed for road use. In the sky it can cruise up to 450 miles at over 115 mph.

Aero-News Network reports that the Terrafugia Transition prototype has had completed the first phase of its four-stage test program, logging in 28 flights. The second prototype will take into account all modifications deemed necessary after the first phase. Terrafugia is still planning first delivery for 2011 and the projected purchase price is $194,000. Check out an Aero-News video of the Terrrafugia Transition after the jump.

Flying Car Has First Flight

Filed under: Wheels, Wings

terrafugiaOne of the many flying car prototypes has had its first flight. We've been following the story of Terrafugia since 2006 when the company first started taking reservations for the flying car known as the Transition.

Now Terrafugia has announced its successful first flight at Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, New York. The Transition is a two-seat aircraft with a propeller which can take off and land at local airports and can drive on any road. Terrafugia says the plane can turn back into a car in under 30 seconds. It can cruise up to 450 miles at over 115 miles per hour. And although it looks like it is more plane than car it can fit into a standard garage and is powered by unleaded gas from a regular gas station. The driver of the Transitiion will require a Sport Pilot license.

Up next for the Transition is increased flight and drive testing and a pre-production prototype will be built and certified before first delivery. Terrafugia has been taking reservations since 2006 when it had a projected price of $148,000. Back then it had a projected ready date of 2009 but that date has now been pushed to 2011.

[via Aero-News Network]

Reserve Your Own Flying Car

Filed under: Wheels, Wings

When we first heard about Terrafugia, the company developing one of the first flying cars that would also be able to drive on the roads, there was not yet a fully-functional, working prototype, but it is being built. The Transition drives like a car and can lower its 27-ft retractable wings when lift-off is required. It has a top speed of 130mph in the air, and gets about 30mpg whether flying or running on the road. Though the final designs are debuting this week, the cars will not be available to the public until 2009. You can put down a 5% deposit on the projected price of $148,000 right now to reserve one, though the final price is not guaranteed as of yet.

[via SciFi Tech]

Terrafugia Plans The Next Flying Car

Filed under: Wheels, Wings

Yet another flying car is entering the rapidly crowded race. This one comes from graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company Terrafugia is working on the Transition Personal Air Vehicle. The Transition is an SUV which has retractable wings and is designed for 100- to 500-mile trips. It runs on premium unleaded gas and the plan is that it can be piloted with a light sport aircraft license (it cruises at up to 12,000 sq. ft.). There isn't a full prototype yet but one is expected in 2008 or earlier with the goal of being ready for flight by 2009 or 2010.

[via Plane News]


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