Terrafugia Transition flying car passes road regulations

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By Brett Davis | July 14th, 2011

The Terrafugia Transition flying car has just passed US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations, allowing it to be driven on the road.

Last year we reported the Transition had passed US Federal Aviation Administration rules which certified it to be flown in the skies as a Light Sports Aircraft. Now it has also passed design rules for the road, so the Terrafugia Transition is now unofficially the first fully certified flying car on the market.

The news comes after a notice was published in the Federal Register, which makes it the first road legal flying/driving to pass NHTSA regulations. The organisation took some things into consideration for the unique vehicle, such as the lack of laminated automotive safety glass as the windscreen.

Normally only this type of glass is allowed but the NHTSA recognised that the Transition needed to be lightweight, which glass is not, and that in the event of a bird colliding with the windscreen it would crack and/or shatter thus making it difficult for the pilot/driver to see through. An exemption allowed the Transition to use polycarbonate materials which are lighter in weight and can’t shatter.

The NHTSA also took into consideration the Transition needed to use heavier tyres than conventional road tyres since it would be landing on a frequent basis. Standard road tyres would not withstand the impact and the sudden speed of landing.

The Transition requires a 520 metres strip to take off over a 15m tall obstacle and is capable of cruising at around 200km/h. The unique craft also has a range of around 700km before it needs to land and refuel. Interestingly, the Transition apparently has an average fuel consumption of 7.8L/100km on the road.

The Terrafugia Transition is on sale with 100 orders reportedly taken. Terrafugia hasn’t mentioned a price yet but says it will be in the $250,000 region.

Peanut

I am going to love landing this baby on the Sydney Harbour Bridge each morning from my run out in the ‘burbs’ each morning.
trenchie

that is an awesome idea, fly to sydney airport from melbourne, touch down and drive around the city, no need to hire a car or take a ridiculously priced train or taxi
laurie

Well Julia would a Carbon Tax apply to this!!
Nath746

“Can I see your flying license please?”
Torque

Great invention.
Kids playing in the cockpit and deploying the wings in the garage would be funny.
Not an aircraft for windy conditions, tailplane damage during landing or take off is a reality and the wings are set too low IMO.
A new weapon for P platers and terrorists (sometimes the same thing).
Texas Pilot

Sorry to have to ask but what’s a P Plater”? I’m a Yank and am not familiar with that term. As far as this new vehicle goes though I love the idea. I do take issue with this being called the first car/plane all in one rig though. I have seen older film from the 50′s possibly early 60′s of the same concept. It was not a just at the push of a button wing deploy like this one, rather the “pilot” had to get out and swing/lock the wings in place and attach the prop. One big difference though is that the old model was a prop front design, not to mention it being much more affordable even on an inflation based comparison. I tip my hat to the people involved in this project though for taking the risk on turning a dream into a reality.

Torque

A P plater is a provisional car drivers licence holder, they are supposed to display external ‘P’ plates for i.d purposes. Anyone with a really bad driving record or repeat drink drive offenders etc should have to display ‘I’ plates to reflect their idiot behaviour.