A flying car gets ready to hit the roads
29 Jun 2009
When the Wright brother's made aviation history with their first successful flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on 17 December 1903, little did they foresee that nearby at Boston, Massachusetts 106 year later, a small American company would not only invent but successfully fly and start delivery the 'flying car' by 2011.
Terrafugia, a small company, founded in 2006 by MIT-trained aeronautical engineers and MBA's, who also happen to be passionate private pilots, had built the prototype of the 'flying car' in 2006. But in 2008, they produced the 'Transition' a two-seat aircraft designed to take off and land at local airports and drive on any road by transforming from plane to car in less than 30 seconds.
After conducting its maiden and historic first flight on March 5, 2009, Terrafugia flight tested the Transition again this month and said that they would conduct 27 additional flights over the next several weeks before starting to deliver the flying car in 2011.
Categorised as a light sport aircraft, the Transition is a two-seat aircraft designed to take off and land at local airports and drive on any road. Transforming from plane to car takes the pilot less than 30 seconds.
Powered by unleaded automotive gasoline, the Transition can cruise up to 450 miles at over 115 mph, will drive at highway speeds on the road, and fits in a standard household garage. The vehicle has front wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight.
The Transition, as an airplane is 6' 3'' tall,19' 2'' long with a wingspan of 27' 6'' and when folded as a car, is 6' 9'' tall, 3'6'' wide and 18' 9'' long.
