Followby Laura K. Cowan
Flying cars are here! Well, “roadable planes” are at least. The Terrafugia Transition is a two-seat prop plane that can legally drive itself home from the airport, converting from a 100-horsepower plane to a vehicle that gets 35 miles per gallon on the highway. The U.S. Department of Transportation has granted a three-year hardship exemption that allows the Transition to travel on public roads for three years, despite its motorcycle tires and polycarbonate windshield Terrafugia used to save weight.
The Transition incorporates several safety features that show the vehicle was designed with both air and road use in mind, including crumple zones, airbags, and a parachute. Because it is essentially a collapsible plane, the Transition does not require a hangar for storage–maybe just an extra large garage door. The unique plane has already completed several maiden flights and is expected to go into production in late 2012. Check out our gallery for more photos and the spec sheet for more details.
Source: inhabitat
