The dream of a flying car has just come one step closer to reality, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the homologation of a hybrid ground-to-air vehicle that can increase at speeds of 100 mph.
The transition Terrafugia received from the agency a special certificate of airworthiness for light-sport aircraft, which gives it the green light for takeoff.
An exclusive flight version of the boat is now available to pilots and flight schools, although it will be another year before the car’s components are “street legal” – it must still meet road safety standards.
Eventually, drivers will be able to switch from flying to driving in less than a minute, taking off and landing at small airports or on the highway.
Terrafugia hopes to have production and approvals for the full two-seater hybrid by 2022, but those interested in taking it back will need both a driver’s license and a sports driver’s certificate.
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The FAA has approved the Terrafugia Transition, a “flying machine” that can fly at speeds of 100 mph and an altitude of 10,000 feet. Exclusive flight models are now available, with the full-land version expected in 2022
Terrafugia, owned by China, was extremely optimistic about the delivery of a “road plane”, a small plane with retractable wings that can travel both on the roads and leads to the open air.
He first promised that the transition will be on sale in 2015, then in 2018 and then in 2019.
But Terrafugia general manager Kevin Colburn praised his team’s efforts during “an extremely challenging pandemic year”.
“Our team remained focused, improved our quality system, completed critical design, built the vehicle, completed 80 days of flight testing, delivered 150 technical documents and successfully passed the FAA audit.” said Colburn.
Transition has a 27-foot wing span, but its wings fold for a light story in a one-car garage. Terrafugia requires owners to land at a small airport or on a stretch of highway and then drive the vehicle home
“This is a major achievement that increases the momentum in fulfilling our mission to deliver the world’s first practical flying machine.”
WHAT IS THE TERRAFUGIA TRANSITION?
The Terrafugia transition was recently granted a special certificate of airworthiness for light-sport aircraft from the FAA.
The plane, which weighs about 1,300 pounds, has a fixed landing gear and folding wings.
It can reach speeds of 100 mph and an altitude of about 10,000 feet.
Owners will need both a driver’s license and a sports driver’s certificate.
Powered by a 100 hp Rotax 912iS Sport fuel-injected engine, the Transition has a top flight speed of 100 mph and a range of about 400 miles, with an altitude of 10,000 feet.
The aircraft engine can run on either premium petrol or 100LL aircraft fuel, while the car is powered by a hybrid electric motor.
Standard features include four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, a rigid carbon fiber safety cage and a frame parachute.
The vehicle weighs about 1,300 pounds and has a fixed landing gear and a wingspan of 27 feet.
The wings fold up to allow easy storage in a one-car garage.
Terrafugia requires owners to land the transition at a small airport or on a stretch of highway and then drive it home.
This differs from the prototypes of flying cars developed by Uber, Kitty Hawk, BMW and others, which involve vehicles that occupy commercial space for air.
The vehicle turns from flying to driving in less than a minute, according to Terrafugia.
In 2018, the two-seater transition was priced at $ 400,000, NBC News reported.
Terrafugia is developing several models of flying machines, including a four-seater TF-X, a four-seater hybrid electric with vertical take-off and landing capabilities.
The TF-X is programmed to be semi-autonomous, with computerized controls that will allow passengers to simply enter their destination.
It will be able to automatically avoid air traffic, bad weather and restricted airspace.
Terrafugia was acquired by the Chinese company Geely, the parent company of Volvo, in 2017.