When we last heard that Terrafugia was wanting to break into flying cars, I assumed it was just a publicity statement with no body. The American company is serious about the idea, providing new details about the air vehicle, including an expected production of next year.
The people: a group of MIT engineers, the goal: build a vehicle that meets the requirements for FAA's Light Sport Aircraft classification and is still practical for public roads. The result: the Transition.
The Transition is a two-seat vehicle with a foldable wing. This allows the car(?) to compress into the size of a standard car lane. Though should it desire the skies, the wing can unfold in less than a minute. It also has avionics and a safety parachute provided by Dynon and BRS aerospace firms.
The air-car will have a hybrid power system, pulling from a small combustion engine and an electric motor pulling from a lithium-iron phosphate battery. This less-common battery type was chosen for safety reasons, according to Terrafugia.
The Transition currently has an expected 400-mile range in the air, with a top flight speed of around 100 mph. The current model requires a runway to take flight. But the next design, known as the Transition TF-X, is expected to have a vertical take-off/landing option.
Pricing starts at $279,000, with reservations currently available for $10,000. The company has an expected delivery date of 2019, though it's been delayed before and it may be delayed again.
The future is here, almost.
Terrafugia is Serious About Making Flying Cars by 2019
Posted By: LizardRock | 0 Comment(s)
Posted On: Jul 18, 2018 @ 10:05 PM