The aeronautical company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, US, plans to deliver its car-plane, called the Transition, to customers by the end of 2011.
It recently cleared a major hurdle when the Federal Aviation Administration granted a special weight limit exemption to the Transition.
“It’s the next ‘wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh.
The car-plane has wings that unfold for flying – a process the company says takes one minute – and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both.
The company is pitching it to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly. They say it eliminates the hassle trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports.
The plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet and has a price tag of 194,000 US dollars, but there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.
So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits, said Richard Gersh.
Source: www.whiotv.com
