Our very own George Jetsons at Terrafugia announced today they'd gotten their Transition "roadable aircraft" up in the air for a brief spin.
The test flight actually happened March 5 in Plattsburgh, N.Y., but the company only announced it today. The first driver/pilot was a retired US Air Force colonel. The vehicle has both front wheel drive and a propeller and runs on regular unleaded.
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Comments
This must be out-lawed as
By anon
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 5:05pm
This must be out-lawed as soon as possible.
Whit
Missing from the press release
By neilv
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 6:41pm
I am a little surprised they didn't even try to articulate an environmentalism story.
New aircraft types can be a good thing, but people think of aircraft as fuel-hungry, and I'd think people are going to wonder whether this new type might increase the amount of aircraft usage.
Why?
By bph
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 6:45pm
Maybe you're not serious?
These sound great to me. They are airplanes & require that you have a pilot's license to fly them, land at airports, etc. Then you can use it as a car to drive the rest of the way to your destination.
The price tag is high, so not many people would have them, gas mileage is about 30 mpg for the car part, what's the problem?
The madness of the
By anon
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 7:14pm
The madness of the transportation system we muddle along with must to be racically altered. Adding flying cars to the deadly, expensive, polluting, ugly, soul-killing mix we have already created is "not very helpful". The automobile, constrained to the ground at the moment, does not also need to foul the skies. But if it can be made to burn fairy-pee and if it can also be invisible and soundless I will consider it as an improvement and wish for more of them.
Whit
did you read what bph wrote?
By gribley
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 10:45pm
I totally agree that a "flying car" would be a disaster to our health and safety, but this is not that. It's a plane, that requires a pilot's license, and which lands at an airport, and which can also trundle along from the airport to its destination.
This is not the flying car of lore, plummeting to the ground as its 17-year-old driver with a learner's permit tries to use their iPhone. It's just a little plane.
From that perspective, it's rather ho-hum, actually.
Just Great
By plt3012
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 6:01pm
Texting while driving/flying! Cell phone calls. iPod wearing pilot/driver. Oh boy.
Awww
By Eighthman
Wed, 03/18/2009 - 7:52pm
It was on display at the MoS only through today. Damn.