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It’s the symbol of a future that never happened: a practical flying car has been on inventors’ drawing boards since the 1930s. A few flying cars were produced, but were really glorified small airplanes.
But could the future finally be here? Woburn, Mass.-based Terrafugia announced last week that its Transition two-seater has been cleared for takeoff. A prototype of the "roadable aircraft"—that’s what they call flying cars these days—recently completed an eight-minute maiden flight in upstate New York, reaching an altitude of about 425 meters.
The company has been developing the Transition since 2006. Its latest projection is that it will go on sale by the end of the year at a cost of about $200,000.
Next stop for the Transition is the New York International Auto Show, where Terrafugia will debut the latest production prototype.
It might be anticlimactic to see the Transition inside the Javitz Convention Center rather than out on a runway or road. Still, for most attendees it will be the first time they see a street-legal vehicle with foldable wings up close. And not in some World’s Fair exhibit called “The World of Tomorrow.”
—Larry Greenemeier
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFlying cars are just about the worst idea ever. Economics aside - most people are crappy drivers when contending with only 2 dimensions and at relatively low speeds (considering that with a forward speed of, say, 65 mph the average aircraft would be "falling" as opposed to "flying").
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAdd in issues of lift, wind shear, and needing to worry about what's above and below you (and not just in front or behind), and the typical driver will be crashing their flying car before they get anywhere near the 425 m of altitude this little puppy made on it's maiden flight.
Maybe - MAYBE - if people would be willing to let a computer drive their flying car instead of trying to handle it themselves, it might not be the single stupidest idea ever conceived. However, considering that most drivers today wouldn't be willing to let a computer drive their regular old ground car (despite the huge benefits involved, including getting where you're going way faster), it seems unlikely that people would let a computer drive their "flying car" either.
Think about that prick who didn't bother to look before he cut you off in traffic on the way into work this morning, and be happy there aren't flying cars at your local dealership, or in the sky above your head.
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://onlycarsandcars.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/terrafugia-transition.html
Since a flying car would neither be an especially maneuverable car or plane, those guys trying to cut you off in the sky would be more likely to end up crashing...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSpeaking of crashing, imagine hitting a pothole while trying to take a high speed curve! Those tall folded wings remind me of a lumbering pterodactyl trying to escape a hungry ground squirrel...
Derrick... While some of the points you make might be valid if this were some Jetsonian image of flying cars, in fact you are way off base and completely misunderstand what this thing is about and who their target audience is. This is not an "airplane for drivers", it is a "car for pilots". If you don't currently have or are not planning to get a pilot's license then this is not for you.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen pilots fly places in their small aircraft, they need a car to get from the airport to their destination. Sometimes you can get a crew car if the local FBO is good and offers this. Either way that solution is only good for a few hours. If you need something longer term then you need to rent a car. That is the need that this vehicle fills.
Those who are in the market for a new small aircraft today, say a Cirrus or a Cessna for example might very well consider the Terrafugia instead. Personally I am not terribly enchanted because it seems to me to be a marginal car and a marginal aircraft. I am far more attracted to the ICON A5... But that is yet another target audience.
Many modern small aircraft sold today come with autopilots and those that do not are easily (though not inexpensively) retrofitted with one. So really it is the pilots choice as to whether they want a computer to fly their plane or not. I prefer not.
Also, this was not really the Terrafugia's "maiden flight".
I doubt that the Terrafugia's flight characteristics will ever be great, but I could be wrong and I would certainly be willing to give it a test flight and I am always happy to see innovative development in this area.