Look Mom, I can drive and fly at the same time

By Meaghan Ziemba, Associate Editor PD&D

The 100-brake horsepower engine uses unleaded automotive gasoline to save cost both in the air and on the ground.

Movies like “Back To The Future” and “Star Wars” and cartoons like the classic “Jetsons” have made a lot of people dream about the future with flying cars. Vehicles that can hover slightly over the ground, and then instantly soar to great heights for quick travel time through space.

Terrafugia, a privately owned company based outside of Boston in Woburn, MA, has brought the fantasy of flying cars to somewhat of a reality with the new Transition.

Combining the unique convenience of fold-up wings and the ability to drive on any surface road, the Transition features a 100-brake horsepower engine – used in today’s Ford Fiestas – that operates both in the air and on the ground.

While the Transition offers a peek into the future of transportation, there are certain requirements for flight travel to be possible.

First, anyone interested in operating the Transition must be a licensed pilot –Terrafugia does offer specific training courses where an individual can become a licensed pilot in as little as twenty hours.

Then we have the issue of space. The flying car requires at least 2,500 feet of runway to effectively take off for air travel. Existing local airports are the only locations that offer such space, unless you live in Alaska, which is the only state in America that allows planes to take off from roads.

The Aircraft Owners' and Pilots' Association (AOPA) offers a site mapping out local airports so pilots can plan their trips.

One final setback of the Transition is the difficulty in finding insurance to cover the vehicle. It’s not just a car, but an airplane as well, and insurance companies may be tempted to file insurance for both, instead of combining the coverage.

For individuals who are already licensed pilots, the Transition does offer several advantages. With the combination of car and plane, pilots are able to land the vehicle if weather conditions worsen and drive the rest of their trip.

The flying car requires at least 2,500 feet of runway to effectively take off for air travel.

If they have long trips to travel, they can unfold the wings within 15 seconds, and take off for flight, depending if their near a local airport that offers the runway.

The Transition is also cost efficient for pilots, because they don’t have to purchase separate vehicles; they get their plane and car all in one.

The 100-brake horsepower engine also uses unleaded automotive gasoline to save cost both in the air and on the ground.

The expected travel distance is between 100 and 500 miles.

Terrafugia claims that the Transition was not designed to replace automobiles, but to “provide innovative solutions to the challenges facing personal aviation.”

Carl Dietrich, who runs the Massachusetts-based Terrafugia, states that the Transition has the long-term “potential to make air travel practical for individuals at a price that would meet or beat driving, with huge time savings.”

The transition may not be exactly the daydream some individuals have had about flying-cars and future transportation, but it is a crack in the door for future designs and prototypes to develop.