The Terrafugia Transition, designed to be driven like a car on normal roads and converted into a light sport airplane to take off from runways, has made its first short flight. The company announced:
An historic milestone for aviation, the flight comes after six months of static, road and taxi testing. The Transition® cruises up to 450 mi at over 115 mph, can drive at highway speeds on the road, and fits in a standard household garage. The vehicle has front wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight. Both modes are powered by unleaded gasoline from a regular gas station.
“This breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility. Travel now becomes a hassle-free integrated land-air experience. It’s what aviation enthusiasts have been striving for since 1918,” says Carl Dietrich, CEO of Terrafugia.
By giving pilots a convenient ground transportation option, the Transition® reduces the cost, hassle, and weather sensitivity of personal aviation. It also increases safety by incorporating automotive crash structures and allowing pilots to drive under bad weather.
For its first flight, the Transition® was flown by Phil Meteer, Colonel, USAFR (Retired) at Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, NY. The chase aircraft was piloted by Giora Guth.
Categorized as a Light Sport Aircraft, the Transition® requires a Sport Pilot license to fly. The Proof of Concept will undergo additional advanced flight and drive testing and a pre-production prototype will be built and certified before first delivery. Refundable airframe reservations are being accepted.
Here's a video of the first hop, just down the runway, plus a demonstration of how the wings are extended.
I'm very interested in this company's progress. There's been lots of talk about 'flying cars' or 'aircars', but to date none of them have flown free. The Transition isn't so much of a 'flying car', but it's a hybrid car and plane, and might prove more practical with current technology than the full-blown aircar beloved of science fiction writers.
Peter
Oh, I don't know if this idea will ever really take off.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious weakness that jumps out at me is getting collision damage fixed, particularly if it is a composite structure.
ReplyDeleteJim
I see at least one potential issue. The wings are VERY low to the ground. This is fine when no cross winds exists.
ReplyDeleteThere are two methods for landing in a cross wind---slipping and crabbing. When sliping, one wing is lower to give lift into the wind while opposite rudder is applied to maintain a straight flight path to the runway. Slips are usually flown right down to touch-down. For this aircraft, that would present a danger of the wingtip impacting the ground before/simultaneously with touch down of the wheels.
For crabbing, the wings are kept horizontal, but rudder is applied to offset the length of the aircraft from the direction of flight. This is the method commercial airlines use since it upsets the passengers less than landing with a wing down.
This aircraft has four wheels. If the pilot doesn't straighten his flight path before touch down, he'll suddenly find himself heading for the edge of the runway.
I think it will take a well trained pilot to fly this aircraft safely. Experience that a Sport Aircraft certificate pilot most likely would NOT have.
It's not the first flying car, either. Molt Taylor's Aerocar was actually certified in the 1950s, but never really went into production. Only a handful were built. It wasn't as well integrated as the Terrafugia, but when operating as a car it could tow its airplane bits behind it as a trailer.
ReplyDeleteRoger beat me to it...the one from the 1950s looked like a small mini-cooper/beetle hybrid with wings.
ReplyDelete