World's first 'sky-worthy' car (And It Works!)

[KynloStephen66515]

http://www.bbc.co.uk.../technology-17626818

US company Terrafugia has put on display a prototype car that is licensed to fly as well as drive, at the New York International Auto Show.

It is the first vehicle in the world to have met both the standards of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), according to Cliff Allen, Vice President of Sales at Terrafugia.

This makes it the first "street legal aeroplane", he said.

Known as the Transition, the versatile vehicle has two seats, four wheels and retractable wings.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

We were curious to see how it would take off”
Dr Samuel Schwegart
Engineer, Terrafugia

It is expected to be available next year, with a price tag in the region of $279,000 (£176,300).

Very VERY Reasonable price for what it is...It puts it in the price range of many more people than I had expected...


Cant wait to see them in showrooms!

(Video of it on the link)

http://www.bbc.co.uk.../technology-17626818

[KynloStephen66515]

http://www.terrafugia.com/ | www.driventofly.com

The companies actual websites

[Deozaan]

I thought I saw on TV years ago a little car that could fly AND be driven into water as a boat. . .

And I'm not talking about on a fiction show. Anyone else have an idea of what I'm talking about?

[KynloStephen66515]

I thought I saw on TV years ago a little car that could fly AND be driven into water as a boat. . .

And I'm not talking about on a fiction show. Anyone else have an idea of what I'm talking about?

-Deozaan (April 09, 2012, 05:16 PM)

There is an Aircraft that is called the Icon A5 - Its only recently gone into development though, so unsure its the same thing...also with the fact the A5 has to be LANDED on water, not driven, I am starting to wonder why I bothered starting to write this reply, knowing it will be of no use to you at all 

[Deozaan]

I thought I saw on TV years ago a little car that could fly AND be driven into water as a boat. . .

And I'm not talking about on a fiction show. Anyone else have an idea of what I'm talking about?

-Deozaan (April 09, 2012, 05:16 PM)

There is an Aircraft that is called the Icon A5 - Its only recently gone into development though, so unsure its the same thing...also with the fact the A5 has to be LANDED on water, not driven, I am starting to wonder why I bothered starting to write this reply, knowing it will be of no use to you at all 

-Stephen66515 (April 09, 2012, 05:24 PM)

Well that was totally useless. 

[Deozaan]

Actually I finally clicked through to the link you shared () and saw the image of the flying car and it looks so similar to the car I had in mind that it just may be the same one!

It's entirely possible that the TV show I saw was about multiple prototype cars, some of which could fly, some of which could be driven into the water, and my memory somehow combined them into a single car that could do all three.

So you weren't useless at all. My memory was!

[MilesAhead]

I was hoping they'd show video of it being driven down the street. I remember years back there was a street legal auto you could fly. But you pulled a trailer with the wings in it.  You had to take the wings from the trailer and latch them on. Also there was the problem of storing the trailer while airborne.  If you landed in a different city and wanted to drive it, then I guess you either paid to store your wings at that airport or rented a trailer?

The nose on the thing looked similar to a Piper Cub single engine job.

[KynloStephen66515]

I was hoping they'd show video of it being driven down the street. I remember years back there was a street legal auto you could fly. But you pulled a trailer with the wings in it.  You had to take the wings from the trailer and latch them on. Also there was the problem of storing the trailer while airborne.  If you landed in a different city and wanted to drive it, then I guess you either paid to store your wings at that airport or rented a trailer?

The nose on the thing looked similar to a Piper Cub single engine job.

-MilesAhead (April 09, 2012, 06:19 PM)

http://www.terrafugia.com/video_D2.html <--- Video driving down the street, filling up with fuel, then going to the airport for a flight

[tomos]

Another slant - yeah, was already posted :p

Well, here's another flying story:

http://rt.com/news/t...lying-car-plane-392/

For decades science fiction writers, and their more practical cousins, engineers, have dreamt of building a flying car. Now that one is about to arrive on the market, the real question emerges: what are flying cars actually for?

US company Terrafugia has variously labeled its Transition model as a “roadable aircraft” and a “street-legal airplane”, perhaps in a quest to avoid the inherent fantastical connotations of “flying car.” Particularly when they are trying to make customers shell out $279,000 for each one.

But functionally, the Transition is definitely a flying car.

Practical or not, it definitely seems cool!

-Renegade (April 05, 2012, 09:22 PM)

they say you could get a better plane *and* car for that price - so I'll probably do that instead

[Renegade]

There's yet another out as well - but it's a helicopter/car.

[MilesAhead]

I was hoping they'd show video of it being driven down the street. I remember years back there was a street legal auto you could fly. But you pulled a trailer with the wings in it.  You had to take the wings from the trailer and latch them on. Also there was the problem of storing the trailer while airborne.  If you landed in a different city and wanted to drive it, then I guess you either paid to store your wings at that airport or rented a trailer?

The nose on the thing looked similar to a Piper Cub single engine job.

-MilesAhead (April 09, 2012, 06:19 PM)

http://www.terrafugia.com/video_D2.html <--- Video driving down the street, filling up with fuel, then going to the airport for a flight

-Stephen66515 (April 09, 2012, 06:35 PM)

Cool. I'd hate to get in a fender bender if I had to fly the thing home though.

[Tinman57]

  From what I've read about it they say it don't handle very well on the road or the air....

  This is not the first flying car, I've seen at least a couple others over the last 10 years.  I think they're saying this is the first "Mass produced" flying car perhaps?

  I think I'll just stick with aircraft.  I have a nice RAF 2000 2 seat gyrocopter right now.  Unfortunately I have to sell it because of medical reasons....