Next Year's Flying Car?!

[greenarixate]

Late next year, you'll be able to buy your own flying car -- er, "roadable aircraft" -- thanks to a thumbs-up from the Federal Aviation Administration. As long as you have $194,000 and a sport pilot license.

The agency approved the Transition plane-car this week, giving it a Light Sport Aircraft rating. The test prototype has been flying for about a year, but plane-maker Terrafugia will unveil its production-class plane next month at the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual convention in Oshkosh, Wisc.

The Transition drives like a car, uses normal high-octane gasoline, has front-wheel-drive and even comes with airbags. Its fuel economy is about 30 miles per gallon. But unlike your Prius, it can unfold its wings and fly. You'll only need a one-third of a mile strip for a runway, meaning you could conceivably use your own street. It is powered by a rear propeller and flies about 115 miles per hour.


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[StealthWyvern]

Thats pretty damn cool!

 

[DarkAngel]

Cool and scary at the same time. Death from above!

 

[greenarixate]

they definitely found a way to beat the LA traffic (lol2)

 

[DarkAngel]

Now if it hovered and moved around fast, that would be something.

 

[Newf]

I have this vision of cars landing on people roof tops and getting stuck in powerlines

How is this a good idea? Cool, but seems bad for now.

 

[JReichle1]

I need to start saving... That is awsome...

 

[ucMP3]

That's f'ing epic. Can you imagine seeing one of these zoom ahead of you and it's wings fold down and it takes off? My jaw would drop. Jealous.

 

[prof15]

That's f'ing epic. Can you imagine seeing one of these zoom ahead of you and it's wings fold down and it takes off? My jaw would drop. Jealous.

yeah I dont think its that simple, they might hav eto go to a landing strip or a local airport to take off I imagine. Because if every one can take off from any location it will get crazy.. (ughdance)

 

[nealric]

The car requires a pilot's license and requires that you go to a real runway to take off and land.

Although you could technically take off from a public road, doing so would be highly illegal and get your pilot's license yanked.

 

[daonly1around]

The car requires a pilot's license and requires that you go to a real runway to take off and land.

Although you could technically take off from a public road, doing so would be highly illegal and get your pilot's license yanked.

if you live in rural area you can find a farmer to let you take off in his field.. people do it all the time where i grew up

 

[ucMP3]

yeah I dont think its that simple, they might hav eto go to a landing strip or a local airport to take off I imagine. Because if every one can take off from any location it will get crazy.. (ughdance)

Thx for being a buzzkill.

 

[nealric]

if you live in rural area you can find a farmer to let you take off in his field.. people do it all the time where i grew up

I suppose, but then you have to contend with a soft field take off and landing and all the potential hazards that come with it. You never know what could be laying out in a random field.

Most people who buy these won't be using them as daily drivers, but rather as a private airplane that can be roaded in a pinch. What's pretty awesome is that they cost about the same as a new Cessna 182 (albeit they are a bit slower). The use of ordinary gasoline is pretty cool as well- no need to pay though the nose for avgas.