Team-BHP
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What a wierd looking contraption. I wonder how "drivable" it is.
I'm sure it'll fly well, but I'm not sure how well it'll drive and will it be driveable at all on roads.
After the public launch, it will really a blessing in the hectic traffics.
But what about the Traffic JAM in sky!!! clap:
Common guy's it's a car which flies. It's meant to fly more than drive on ground.
Don't expect looks and handling etc from day one, this is just a working concept.
With time all these things will get ironed out.
There was a video of it on yahoo. Interesting stuff. And the best part is how the wings can fold, and make the machine fit in a regular sized garage.
Actually this is by no means the first. There was a much more practical looking car+plane back in the 60's with a rear mounted engine which drove both the pusher props in airplane mode or the wheels in car mode.
One should remember the 70s James Bond Film "Man with the Golden Gun" in which Christopher Lee flies a Continental GT with makeshift Wings attached.
I got these pictures in my email today.
At first I thought of putting this up in the W&W cars thread. But on further googling I found that this is actually a concept vehicle named Transition manufactured by a company called Terrafugia in Massachusetts.
On the road, this can be driven up to a max speed of 65mph while in the air, it has a flight range of 400 nautical miles @ a cruising flight speed of 115mph. But the best part is, it uses the same automotive grade gasoline for both operations.
The first successful experimental flight happened on March 5th 2009. Customer deliveries start in 2011.
Soon dreams of flying cars may become a reality.
PS: Mods, I didn't find a thread on this already. Hence started a new one. However, if a thread already exists, please merge.
PPS: Mods, thanks for moving it to the appropriate thread. But seriously, a search on Terrafugia did not return this thread.
Terrafugia has completed flight testing of the Transition POC (Proof of Concept). Introducing the Transition®. Simply land at the airport, fold your wings up and drive home.
The time required for the transition from plane to car takes less than 30 seconds. Vehicle speed 115 mile/hour, range is 450 miles on highways Vehicle is fueled with gasoline, and the price of the car is expected to be around $200,000(seems cheap intro price for a flying car). Will require a special license to drive/fly.
The first shipment will be in 2011 :p
Terrafugia - Transition®, the Roadable Light Sport Aircraft : Home
The world's first flying car, which was caught in a legal snarl in the US, has finally been given the green signal.
Being developed by Boston-based Terrafugia Transition since 2006, the dual-purpose car-cum-plane vehicle called 'the flying car' has got the waiver on its weight from the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Under FAA rules, the flying car -- categorised as a 'light sport' aircraft -- was required to be strictly under 1,320 pounds in weight. But with the addition of car safety features such as airbags, crumple zones and a safety cage, the vehicle overshot the weight-limit.
With the FAA now relaxing the rules for its weight, the decks have been cleared for the flying car - a two-seater named Transition - to take-off next year.
'Our schedule calls for the first delivery to be made prior to the end of 2011. We currently have in excess of 70 orders, which is about a two-year backlog,' Richard Gersh, vice president for Terrafugia, told IANS.
Asked whether it was big corporates or individuals who have placed orders, Gersh said, 'They are generally pilots who either own planes or have owned planes in the past.'
About about their plans to raise production, he said: 'Low volume production will take place in the Boston area. No decisions have been made for other production plans.'
Costing about $200,000, the flying car will travel up to 725 km in the air at a speed of more than 115 km per hour.
Fuelled by gasoline, it will have front-wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight.
With its wings folded, it can be parked in an ordinary car garage.
The company claims the flying car has been successfully test-flown many times.
It says tests have shown that the vehicle can drive, fly and switch from being a plane to a car in just 30 seconds.
Source
World's first flying car gets green signal to take-off - Yahoo! India News
Specs
Manufacturer: Terrafugia
Type: Light Sport Aircraft
Class: MotorcycleLight-Sport Airplane (LSA)
Propulsion system: 100 hp Rotax 912 S (four-stroke)
Top Speed: air, 100 kts(115 mph), road 51 mph
Zero-to-60: NA
MPG: 30mpg (air as well as road)
Vehicle range: air, 400 nautical miles (460 miles); road, 80 miles
Fuel(s): Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Tailpipe emissions: Yes, but minimal
Estimated Price: $194,000
Finally, more than a century later, man kind's ambition on flying are reaching to next level. I guess it will take another half a century to reach India. But still at $194,000 it is unaffordable even in US.
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