Not a flying car, but a roadable aircraft, the Terrafugia Transition took flight for the first time March 5, 2009.
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Looks like a Ricing experiment gone good.
And we used to make fun of those huge wings they’d put on their trunks.
Novel, but I don’t see it working.
It is too small for most flyers and if it requires a 5,000 ft runway, how many local airports will be able to support it?
But if it works, just think of where they can go from here.
It’s really a pretty good idea. You can hangar it in your garage at home. When you fly in to any airport, you just drive away not having to find a rental car or a taxi.
One downside is that you’re burning up hours on the engine when you’re on the road. Aircraft engine rebuilds are pricey.
It’s too bad that is looks so unconventional. I’d be fun to see a Southern California car chase where the suspect transforms his car into a plane and flies away.
[I’d like to see that even with this aircraft! – ed.]
The planes MGW is based on the Light Sport Aircraft limitations. This is the one sector of the airplane market that isn’t falling apart under the current economy. The problem is the plane cost just about twice what any of the other new LSAs cost.
The 5000 Ft runway was for the test flight. The company’s web site quotes 2500′ which is reasonable and in keeping with a plane at that weight and power.
The biggest problem I see is that a ding that would be a minor cosmetic issue for a car would make an aircraft unairworthy.
Why not make it a boat too? I never understood these combo vehicles. Wouldn’t it be cheaper and safer to fly a conventional aircraft and when you get to your destination just rent a car?
5000′ requirement? Lose.
awesomely pointless.
#5 Yes it would. The only place where this is a good deal is where hanger/tie down space is VERY espensive.
#6 5000′ isn’t right. 2500′ is.
# 8 GigG said, “#6 5000′ isn’t right. 2500′ is.”
Thanks.
This looks like the better design to me … though not as measured by the number of years they’ve been trying and failing to get it off the ground.
http://moller.com/skycar.htm
[Scott! Please drop the WWW from URLs as WordPress doesn’t display it properly… plus it’s unnecessary. – ed.]
#10 Moller has been shooting for VTOL. Not really a good comparison.
#11 – Paddy-O,
They’re both combination cars/planes. I think it’s an excellent comparison, despite the fact that I forgot the Ws again (sorry eds.)
The problems are a bit different.
The terrefugia will not be accessible to most people due to the runway requirement. The Mollar will not be accessible to most people because they can’t actually make it fly.
Both are trying to provide a flying/driving vehicle though. The goals are similar.
If Mollar could ever get the damn thing to work, one could, for example, drive it out of a garage and take off. Or, on short drives where flying is not ordinarily required, fly over any traffic that happens.
That’s why I think the Mollar is a better design. It’s just a much harder thing to make work … and thus far … it doesn’t.
# 12 Misanthropic Scott said, “They’re both combination cars/planes. I think it’s an excellent comparison, despite the fact that I forgot the Ws again (sorry eds.)”
Actually, Moller’s isn’t designed to be a car. It can be “driven” but it isn’t designed to take the place of an auto on the road. I’ve followed his progress for about 35 years and seen the proto types.
Quote from the video “… called a flying car but more accurately called a roadable aircraft.” It doesn’t sound like the terrefugia is intended to replace the automobile either. Mainly it’s just for the short drives to and from the airport, or at least that’s the impression I get.
The whole point of a “niche” product is that it serves a niche of the market. This craft is perfect for certain folks who happen to work near an airport and select the freedom of living some distance away. Not for too many others.
An “aerospace platform” is an aerospace platform. I don’t know why a light sport plane justifies less training than the standard private pilot course. Seems like all the very same issues affect both categories of flight.
I’ve also never understood even in theory the Moller craft. Too many engines, too hard to maintain. I like that single jet or prop device that you step into and strap on. Much better idea in so many ways.
#15 – bobbo,
I’ve also never understood even in theory the Moller craft. Too many engines, too hard to maintain. I like that single jet or prop device that you step into and strap on. Much better idea in so many ways.
That VTOL is really tempting, as it is for the V-22 osprey that has also had numerous problems.
The VTOL for a hybrid car/plane seems to be a must have to me. Without it, it cannot be a car/plane for the masses. Also, for me, I would love to be able to get to places that have no infrastructure, neither roads nor airports.
Imagine being able to really get into the back country with this. Oh wait. This is starting to sound good if and only if I’m the only one who has one. Maybe I need to rethink that.
Why is it that you cause me to rethink so many things?
THe biggest issue with the Mollar design, even if they could get it to work properly, is noise. Four unshrouded ducted fans make a hellacious din.
#17,
The biggest problem with the Mollar design is that it is powered lift, and lacks auto-rotation safety features.
If the engines fail, you die.
# 18 GregA said, “If the engines fail, you die.”
Unless you deploy the built in ‘chute…
#16–Scot==”Why is it that you cause me to rethink so many things?”
Because you are willing to consider new ideas AND you talk to much to Paddy-Zero! (bah-dap-a-dap!== double rim shot!)
This is very cool. One man tilt aircraft. There is another craft out there that is like a ladder with an engine/fan on the top of it. You strap it on and you got vertical lift, and so forth in a 200 pound personal device. Can’t find it right now.
Dvorak’s Cage Match
Recently the auto industry said that flying cars were impossible. See The Onion: Mean Automakers Dash Hope For Flying Cars. http://youtube.com/watch?v=2hGjl3zcJMk
Heres what I was thinking of:
http://defensetech.org/archives/002980.html
Saw this up close in Oshkosh last year, it was really ugly.
The idea of folding wings so it can use very little hanger space seems like a winner however that idea has been around for a long time.
The ability to use a short runway would seem like a must for a plane like this.
How useful the ability to run short distances on the highway actually is depends on what the local legal begals think of your actually doing it.