Terrafugia Transition fulfils flying car fantasies
- 12 years ago
http://nma.tv
Terrafugia, an aeronautics company based in Massachusetts, will unveil a flying car named "Transition" at the 2012 New York International Auto Show.
The compact vehicle accommodates a driver and one passenger. It reached an altitude of 1,400 feet during a recent test flight and has a top airspeed of about 115 miles per hour. Its wings fold down when on land, allowing it to drive on standard roads just like any other car. It even runs on ordinary gasoline. It won't win any races, though. The vehicle maxes out at 70 miles per hour on the ground.
Will the transition catch on? Price is certainly a barrier at $279,000. One hundred fat-pocketed people have already shelled out a $10,000 down payment.
Promised in sci-fi shows and movies of the past, people have long expected flying cars to be part of their everyday lives at some point in the future. Personal flying saucers are standard issue in the Jetsons cartoon, which takes place in the still well-off year of 2062. The flying cars of Back to the Future Part II are a little more within reach. Doc Brown and Marty McFly cruise the skyways in 2015, just three years from now.
Terrafugia, an aeronautics company based in Massachusetts, will unveil a flying car named "Transition" at the 2012 New York International Auto Show.
The compact vehicle accommodates a driver and one passenger. It reached an altitude of 1,400 feet during a recent test flight and has a top airspeed of about 115 miles per hour. Its wings fold down when on land, allowing it to drive on standard roads just like any other car. It even runs on ordinary gasoline. It won't win any races, though. The vehicle maxes out at 70 miles per hour on the ground.
Will the transition catch on? Price is certainly a barrier at $279,000. One hundred fat-pocketed people have already shelled out a $10,000 down payment.
Promised in sci-fi shows and movies of the past, people have long expected flying cars to be part of their everyday lives at some point in the future. Personal flying saucers are standard issue in the Jetsons cartoon, which takes place in the still well-off year of 2062. The flying cars of Back to the Future Part II are a little more within reach. Doc Brown and Marty McFly cruise the skyways in 2015, just three years from now.