TERRAFUGIA: THE FLYING CAR

For almost a century people have attempted to build flying cars. Over the years many have tried and many have failed, but one company, Terrafugia fiction novelty a reality.

The Terrafugia Transition®, a roadable aircraft, has a promising future as tomorrow’s popular flying car. The first street legal plane for highways will be available for consumers the last quarter of 2011 at a price tag of $194,000 with a $10,000 refundable deposit (that's US dollars). The Transition® can land at any local airport and with wings that fold up, it can drive right from the runway, down the highway and straight into the garage without unloading baggage in between.

Built around an aircraft engine which runs on unleaded gasoline, this two-seater vehicle gets a respectable 30 mpg on the highway and has a top speed of 65 mph. With a 20 gallon unleaded fuel tank that’s about 600 miles on one tank of gas! That makes this little gem perfect for flying trips between 100 and 450 miles. On the ground, the Transition® can be driven on any road and parked in a standard parking or garage space making this the ideal multipurpose vehicle of the future!

Folded, this little baby measures 6’ 9” tall by 6’ 8” wide and is 18’ 9” long. With wings extended it’s 27’ 6” wide. The cockpit has an impressive 51” shoulder height.

License Requirements for Terrafugia Transition® Flying Car

All planes require a licensed pilot to fly in and out of local airports. But, since the Transition® is certified as a Light Sport Aircraft, it requires only aSport Pilot License (20 hours of flight time). On land, the vehicle operator is required to possess a valid driver’s license.

With over 5,000 public airports in the United States, the Transition® is a go anywhere kind of vehicle with only 2,500 feet of runway space needed. On average, there is a local airport within 30 miles of any destination.

How Terrafugia Transition® Works

To get airborne, the Transition® uses a rear propeller to thrust the vehicle forward at about 115 MPH with a flying range of approximately 460 nautical miles. Once on the ground, the wings fold up and sit vertically on the sides of the vehicle. This process takes about 30 seconds. Once the wings are folded the driver directs the engine power to the wheels and safely drives off the runway..