Tue, Oct 06, 2009
At EAA Airventure 2008, a group of award-winning MIT
Aeronautical Engineers set the aviation industry ablaze with the
introduction of their proof of concept “flying
car.” The two-seat aircraft, designed to transform from
a plane to a car in less than 30 seconds, allows a pilot to easily
fold and stow wings for road use with quick wing-deployment for
flight all from the comfort of the cockpit.
Able to cruise up to 450 miles at over 115mph in air, as well as
drive at highway speeds on any road surface, the Terrafugia
Transition, as stated by the company, aims to provide increased
flexibility by exploring innovative new frontiers for personal
mobility.
Since their premiere introduction, the MIT graduates forged
ahead and came to EAA AirVenture 2009 having conquered many
significant milestones. In June, after months of the flight
tests, Terrafugia, Inc. declared the successful conclusion of the
first phase of their extensive test program for the historic
Transition Roadable Aircraft Proof of Concept. The
announcement came after the completion of 28 flights, including the
aircraft’s first flight on March 5th, 2009.
With the conclusion of the first phase of the company’s
four-stage test program, the company continues its development to
bring the Transition into production. Thus far, the Proof of
Concept vehicle is the only Transition to be built. After
testing such characteristics as handling performance, take-off and
landing capabilities, overall stability, and stall management, the
Beta Prototype (stage 2) will incorporate all identified necessary
modifications resulting from the first stage evaluations. First
delivery is expected in 2011 with a projected purchase price of
$194,000.
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