The Terrafugia Transition flies, drives and folds into the garage

Is the Terrafugia Transition a flying car … or a driveable airplane? Well, according to Terrafugia, the aviation—or is it automotive?—company making the combo, it's the first "roadable aircraft". The company announced Wednesday that the Transition cleared a big obstacle toward its appearance at airports and rush hours. The Federal Aviation Administration granted the Terrafugia Transition an exemption to be classified as a “light sport aircraft”. This classification makes it easier for Transition owners to get certified by the FAA to live their dreams behind the wheel of a flying car.

Source for this article: The Terrafugia Transition – a flying car that fits in your garage by Personal Money Store

The flying car you park in the garage

As a car, the Terrafugia Transition fits in a garage and blends into traffic. "A Volkswagen in the belly of a carp" is the aesthetic assessment of the Terrafugia Transition by CNET's Johnathon E. Skillings. The vehicle, he said, burns regular unleaded fuel from any gas station either driving or flying. It has a top speed of 65 mph on the highway and gets 30 miles to a gallon of gas. In flight it cruises at 115 mph and has a range of about 450 miles. According to Terrafugia, the plane can be transitioned from aircraft into road going vehicle in just 30 seconds.

The light sport aircraft exemption

The Terrafugia Transition has been designated as a light sport aircraft, the smallest private plane classified by the FAA. The maximum weight allowed is 1,320 pounds. But it was impossible for Terrafugia to fit the airbags, crumple zones and roll cage required for cars into that weight. Terrafugia wanted the FCC to classify the plane as a light sport aircraft, Jalopnik reports, because owners will only need 20 hours flying the Transition to be licensed by the FAA. The FAA granted an exemption for the extra 110 pounds, and Terrafugia can now sell the Transition as long as it informs buyers about the weight difference.

Will Terrafugia fly with Transition?

Terrafugia says the Transition carries a major safety advantage over its light sport aircraft brethren. The Telegraph reports that if pilots are grounded when the weather gets too bad for flying, they can simply drive home. But don't expect to see the Terrafugia Transition in your rear view mirror for awhile. The vehicle flying now is just a prototype. Sometime in 2011 is Terrafugia's target for a customer-ready production model. But that hasn't stopped 70 potential customers from reserving their space in line when that happens. A $ 10,000 refundable deposit from each potential customer is being held in escrow for now, in the event that Terrafugia goes into a tailspin before the Transition can soar.

Discover more information:

cnet.com

jalopnik.com

telegraph.co.uk