Street-Legal Airplanes
June 12, 2012 Leave a Comment
The future is here.
Road-legal flying vehicles will soon be on the markets. How soon? It may be as soon as next year, but first these flying cars must first be tested. approved and then regulated.
The Terrafugia Transition is a two-seater car that turns into a plane with retractable wings. Because the wings are retractable, owners of one of these flying cars will be able to store the car/plane in their very own garage. They will also be able to drive them to local airports, and fly them to remote destinations.
The Terrafugia Transition
A safety regulation waiver from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed the Terrafugia to use light motorcycle tires and wheels, helping to keep the vehicle’s weight down to around 1,320 pounds. Another waiver allowed the Terrafugia to have sturdier windows, a necessary advancement to withstand high-speed impacts with birds.
The drivable airplane has already completed the first of 75 test flights to verify its airworthiness with the FAA. Executives from the company promise that their creation will be fully certified and ready to roll within the next year for a price tag in the range of $279,000-$300,000.
An angled view of the Terrafugia
With three wheels, the Terrafugia is classified as a motorcycle, and subject to federal motor vehicle safety standards that are applicable to motorcycles. You will also need a light-sports license to fly a plane, which can be obtained with as little as 20 hours of instruction.
This video demonstrates a pilot driving and flying the Terrafugia. Watch the car take-off at 3:40:
The PAL-V is another flying car prototype already in the works:
Check out DrivenToFly.com for more news,details, and information!
via New York Times
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