Flying car gets FAA approval


As a car, the Terrafugia Transition could be said to be found somewhat wanting in the looks department – it is an ugly beast, but it is an ugly beast that is approved for use both on the ground and in the air.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made a unique exception in granting the Transition light sport aircraft status – it is 120lb over the weight limit. Terrafugia had said that it was simply impossible to include the safety features necessary to make the flying car road-legal and keep it below the maximum weight of 1,320lb.

The weight class makes an enormous amount of difference to the potential user-base of the vehicle, as a light sport aircraft, the Transition can be flow after just 20 hours of flying time – significantly less than would be required to obtain a full pilot’s license.

So what does $194,000 get you in a flying car? If the manufacturer’s claims are to be believed, on the ground it can manage 30 miles per gallon on the highway; in the air it has a cruising speed of 115mph, a range of 460 miles, and it can carry 450lb. To take off, it requires a suitable runway of 1,700 feet, and it can be housed in a standard garage.

You can reserve yours now for just $10,000.

[The Telegraph]

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Science and Tech

C.S. Magor is the editor-in-chief and a reporter at large for We Interrupt and Uberreview. He currently resides in the Japanese countryside approximately two hours from Tokyo - where he has spent the better part of a decade testing his hypothesis that Japan is neither as quirky nor as interesting as others would have you believe.
4 Comments on this post.
  • P Green
    30 June 2010 at 1:31 pm
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    if this flying car only has a payload of 450lb, how is it going to take off with the average American flying it?

    • C. S. Magor
      30 June 2010 at 1:37 pm
      Leave a Reply

      I get the impression that you are still smarting from that 4-1 hiding that the Germans gave your team.

  • P Green
    30 June 2010 at 8:31 am
    Leave a Reply

    if this flying car only has a payload of 450lb, how is it going to take off with the average American flying it?

    • C. S. Magor
      30 June 2010 at 8:37 am
      Leave a Reply

      I get the impression that you are still smarting from that 4-1 hiding that the Germans gave your team.

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