A Real Flying Car – Terrafugia Transition
Jason Lancaster | Jul 31, 2009 | Comments 11
Back in the 1940’s and 50’s a number of futurists declared that flying cars were “just around the corner,” and that they would revolutionize the world of personal travel. That never quite happened, but almost 60 years later it is now possible to own a very similar contraption that promises to extend the utility of the personal airplane in a brand new direction.
Terrafugia Transition's Flying Car
The Terrafugia Transition is less a flying car and more an airplane that can be safely driven on public roads. In terms of appearance, the James Bond-style transporter is either an odd-looking airplane or a completely off-the-wall automobile…depending upon how you look at it. But one thing is certain: it succeeds both in the sky and on the ground in providing its pilot with excellent flying and driving characteristics.
The Transition is primarily designed with air travel in mind. A split tail frames a rear pusher-type propeller, and a small front stabilizer wing rides in front of the vehicle’s two forward landing gear. The plane makes use of a 100 horsepower horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine that provides enough grunt to cruise at up to 115 miles per hour with a range of 460 miles. While in the air, the plane burns fuel at the rate of 5 gallons per hour, and it can haul up to 460 lbs.
Filling up the flying car.
Of course, the weather doesn’t always cooperate with even the best laid flight plans, which can often leave pilots stranded halfway through their journey as they wait for the skies to clear. This is where the Transition really shines.
At essentially the touch of a button, the plane’s wings fold up and the vehicle becomes completely road legal. Front-wheel drive, it gets 30 miles per gallon when traveling on the ground and can seat up to two passengers. This means that when it rains, getting to the next destination is as simple as finding the nearest highway. The plane / car’s cargo hold is also large enough to accommodate skis and golf clubs, which makes it practical for weekend getaways all over the country. There’s even a rear-view mirror that you can hang dice or other accessories from!
Not only can the Transition’s road-going abilities help out when the weather gets gloomy, but its compact size and shape can also save on hangar fees. In car mode, the Transition measures just under 7 feet in height and is only around 80 inches wide, meaning it can fit in a standard one-car garage. This allows pilots to simply drive it to and from the airport.
Of course, there are trade-offs when it comes to building a compromise like the Transition. For one, the wings do form blind spots on either side of the vehicle when they are folded, and the rear tail also serves to block visibility. This means that pilots have to be extra careful when maneuvering the Transition on the ground. It might also be a bit difficult to explain to your insurance company just exactly what you are trying to get them to cover – a plane that is also a car, or a car that is also a plane. However, for $194,000 the Terrafugia Transition seems to be a bargain in the world of exotic vehicles. After all, when was the last time you saw a Lamborghini take to the skies?
Filed Under: Auto News
Order me one of those. Oh yeah, I don’t have 194K lying around and I don’t have an airplane license. The good news is me and my wife at 450 lbs. total just get by the weight limit. Better go on a diet aye?
All I can think is: Great, now the idiots can drop in from above. People can’t drive in a 2 dimensional world, add in up and down and peoples heads are going to start exploding.
“After all, when was the last time you saw a Lamborghini take to the skies?”
Well, actually, I did see one a few weeks back. The driver is listed in stable condition and is looking to make a complete recovery. The car was swept up and mailed back to his house in a standard envelope.
Go-go-gadget-airplane! I always wondered how the people on the Jetsons knew to stay in their lane.
Who makes it?
Jeremy – LOL – glad to hear the flying Lambo is OK.
Mickey – I added a link to the manufacturer – thanks for the reminder! 🙂
Is it really necessary to have to wait until 2011 to see the Terrafugia in the showrooms? What if there’s a delay? Then they probably won’t be available to the general public even then.
I would like the flying car to be commonplace in the not too distant future. Ideally I would like the cars to levitate like Doc Emmett Brown’s DeLorean. I am hopeful that there really will be flying cars by 2015 even if they won’t be quite as common as depicted by the film. In any case, not all the cars fly even in the film. The idea is that the cars can be made into fliers at a cost. At the moment the Autovolantor seems to be in the pipeline. This is the design based on the Ferrari 599 GTB, I believe.
Furthermore, Steve Johnson recently tested his ca-boat, using a Pontiac Sunbird. This has prompted me to suggest the ca-plane and the ca-helicopter. This is partly due to the apparent flight of the Aubin Smart Special Aerocraft. This is not to mention the WEAV as designed by Professor Roy of the University of Florida. My suggestion is that, if it actually works, a car could be flown atop one of those aircraft.
I am featured on the BBC website and anxious to bring my weblinks to everyone’s attention. Simply visit Google and search the web for Jeremy Keller, or Jeremy Keller BBC, to access the details.
im not really bothered about flying cars we have aeroplanes for travel
In one of my previous comments I wrongly mentioned the Aubin Smart Special Aerocraft when in fact I meant the Harbin Smart Special Aerocraft.
soooooooooo cooooooool
Jeremy, you worry about what if is not available by 2011?…Truth is, it will NOT be available even in 2020, reason?…Well, since I was 12 back in the early 90s, I too dream of a flying car that was just about to hit the market, guess what?!….lol..Yup…2012 (today) no flying car has hit the market yet, at least no car that can be sold to normal people, and yes I know, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and so on and on…Those are private jets, for those multimillionaires WHO CAN!