Is it a car? Or, is it an airplane? It's The Transition!

By William Atkins
Thursday, 19 March 2009 18:34

Science - Space

The Terrafugia company successfully completed its first test flight earlier in March 2009 for what they hope to be the first commercially successful flying car or, conversely a “roadable” aircraft. Wouldn't Felix Longobardi be proud! Who? Please read on!


U.S.-based private company called Terrafugia Inc. is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts (just outside of Boston), being founded by graduates of the prestigious research, technology, and engineering facility the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specifically its Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and its Sloan School of Management.

The founders of Terrafugia (it was incorporated in 2006) are developing The Transition, a “roadable” aircraft—or, reverse its abilities by saying it is a flying car (although only unofficially).

In any case, the company calls it a “Personal Air Vehicle” that is able to operate as a motor vehicle on our highways and byways and, also, as an airplane up in the skies above these roads.

The two-seat Transition Roadable Aircraft, classified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a “light sport aircraft,” is designed to take off and land at any airport with a runway at least 2,500 feet long, but then fold up its wings so that it can continue its journey on the surface roads of Earth—all with front-wheel drive and high-octane unleaded gasoline.

It has an estimated flying range of about 100 to 150 miles on one tank of regular automobile-type gasoline.

According to the company’s About Us website , The Transition Roadable Aircraft is: “Taking advantage of new FAA regulations in the Light Sport Aircraft category, Terrafugia developed the Transition® to provide pilots the convenience of a dual-purpose vehicle. Its unique design allows the Transition® to fold its wings and drive on any surface road with a modern personal airplane platform. Once at the airport, the wings extend and the aircraft is ready for take-off. Both folding and extending the wings is done from inside the cockpit.”

The aero-auto hybrid, as it is also being called, had its first successful test at the Plattsburgh International Airport, in Plattsburgh, New York, on March 5, 2009. Piloting the craft was U.S. Air Force colonel Phil Meteer.

Meteer, the company’s test pilot, stated after the test, “The first flight was remarkably unremarkable. I've flown several thousand hours in everything from Piper Cubs to F-16s, and the Transition flew like a really nice airplane." [The Register: “World's first proper flying car makes debut flight”]

Page two contains the company web page with pictures of The Transition.