World's first flying car to make debut at New York auto show

[Hyde]

Flying car to make debut at New York auto show

The Transition flying car will break cover in April, when developer Terrafugia will put it on display at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), in what will be the so-called “roadable aircraft’s” show debut.

The US company reports that it is time to share its product with the public, “after years of testing and engineering breakthroughs”.

NYIAS director Alan Liebensohn says in a statement that he is “thrilled to have Terrafugia at the show. The Transition is a truly unique vehicle that represents an enormous step forward in how we view personal transportation and individual freedom”.

Terrafugia COO Anna Mracek Dietrich says her company chose the North American show to continue the rollout of the Transition because of the value the event brings “in terms of exposure to future owners, investors and partners”.

“The NYIAS is a venue from which we can show the first practical street-legal airplane to the world, while meeting the people who will be part of its commercial success in the years to come,” she notes.

During the press preview portion of NYIAS, Terrafugia will present its latest generation Transition production prototype, as well as details of the company’s future plans.

Terrafugia said last year that it anticipates delivering its first vehicle in late 2012.

Terrafugia was founded by five pilots who graduated from the well-known Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US.

Terrafugia is Latin for ‘escape from land’.

In 2009, the company completed the first successful test flight of its two-seater car that becomes a plane that becomes a car again.

When driving, the wings fold up, and when the driver wants to take to the sky, the wings can unfold in 30 seconds.

In driving mode, the vehicle is 2 m high, 2.3 m wide, and 6 m long. When flying, only the width changes as the wings unfold, expanding to 8 m.

Cruise speed when flying is 172 km/h, with fuel burn at 18.9 ℓ/h. 
The Transition uses normal unleaded petrol, rather than aviation fuel.

Top speed when hitting the tar is 105 km/h, at 14.9 km/ℓ. The range when flying is 787 km/h.

The Transition’s empty weight is 440 kg.

Source: Flying car to make debut at New York auto show