Flying Car Approved by NHTSA

The Terrafugia Transition, a pie-in-the-sky flying car concept that has expectedly faced some major production hurdles, has actually been approved for on-road use by the NHTSA. The two-seater will cost you around $279K, gets up to 35 mpg on premium pump gas, and has wings that fold down for flight in 20 seconds. To operate the flying car on the road, you need only a valid driver’s license, though of course you need a pilot’s license if you want to fly it. And take-offs and landings will for now take place at airfields rather than on the road. Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich says he’s already got a waiting list of “almost 100″ orders and expects to start delivering the vehicles in late 2012. Hit the jump for a couple of video news clips, and learn more at the Terrafugia website.

The Transition

Every pilot faces uncertain weather, rising costs, and ground transportation hassles on each end of the flight. The Transition® combines the unique convenience of being able to fold its wings with the ability to drive on any surface road in a modern personal airplane platform. Stowing the wings for road use and deploying them for flight at the airport is activated from inside the cockpit. This unique functionality addresses head-on the issues faced by today’s Private and Sport Pilots.

Terrafugia’s award-winning MIT-trained engineers have been advancing the state-of-the-art in personal aircraft since 2006. Now you can streamline your flying experience with the revolutionary integration of personal land and air travel made possible by the Transition® Roadable Aircraft.

Performance

Convenience

Rear wheel drive on the ground
Automotive-style entry and exit
Two place, side by side
Automated electromechanical folding wing
No trailer or hangar needed
Cargo area holds golf clubs

Safety

Drive in case of inclement weather
Proven 100 hp Rotax 912ULS engine
Full vehicle parachute available
Modern glass avionics
Automotive crash safety features

Dimensions

Training
Become a Sport Pilot in as little as 20 hours of flight time in a Transition®-specific course. For existing pilots, get comfortable quickly with the familiarization training included with every Transition® delivery.