Terrafugia Transition has earned the coveted titled of the world’s first 'commercial flying car', which will likely be presented for sale by the end of this year. This flying car experienced its first flight at Plattsburgh International Airport, New York. The test drive lasted for 8 minutes, in which it attained an altitude of around 1,400 feet or 425m.
With the development of this vehicle, the company has created a new segment, roadable aircraft, in the automobile sector. This flying car is much similar to an aircraft with foldable wings and a wider chassis. Not in line with standard planes, Transition holds a normal unleaded petrol engine, which can be easily refilled at the normal fuel filling stations. The manufacturer is mainly targeting members of “fly-in” communities, such as Martha’s Vineyard, which are not connected by road and can only be reached by ferry and aircrafts.
Transition has a propeller stuck at the back of cockpit, which provides thrust to the vehicle. On the other hand, the vehicle is likely to be assimilated with some type of drive shaft transmission system, which will assist it to glide over roads. This roadable aircraft holds an 87 litre fuel tank and delivers mileage of around 18.9 litres per hour in flying mode at 168 kmph. As far as on-road fuel efficiency of this vehicle is concerned, it covers a distance of 14.8 kmpl on highways.
In July 2011, Transition was provided with few exemptions from the authority of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which allowed the manufacturer to use polycarbonate windows and multi-purpose tires in it. Polycarbonate windows were used in place of laminated glass, which is used in most of the cars. Although, this vehicle is heavier than a Light Sport Aircraft by 50 kg, FAA has awarded it a waiver and placed it in the LSA category.
If the company is able to realise its plans, the full fledge production of Transition will start soon and the vehicle itself will be rolled out by in the market by 2012. Post launch, the model will be offered with a price tag of $ 279,000; the company has started accepting down payment of $ 10,000 in regards to the same. Transition weighs around 440 kg (970 lbs) which is quite acceptable for an aircraft or a car. Ford Focus or Chevrolet Volt weigh more than three to four times in comparison to this model.
Recently, the Dutch-built PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) too celebrated its first test flight. In contrast to the Transition, PAL-V is equipped with a rotor and is categorised as gyrocopter. It is fairly easy to fly and the operator can easily obtain a license to fly it by undergoing training just for 20 to 30 flying hours. Although the vehicle has a large number of advantages, the company has not stated any plans to introduce this vehicle in the market.
