Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of

[Tsukiyumi]

Jan. 22, 2009 -- A Boston-area company plans to begin flight tests this year of a two-seater airplane that moonlights as a car.

The aptly named Transition takes a stab at bridging the gap between automobiles and airplanes. Some people call it a flying car. The company designing and selling the vehicle prefers the term "roadable aircraft."

Either way, it boils down to this: You sit down behind the steering wheel, drive to the runway, unfold two wings and take off. You can fly 500 miles on a tank of gas -- regular unleaded -- and when you land, you simply fold up the wings and drive where you want to go. At the end of the day, you fly back, drive home and park inside your garage.

Terrafugia, of Woburn, Mass., is not the first firm to attempt what may be the ultimate hybrid.

Source

Closer pic

Pretty damn cool, IMO. Somewhat pricey, but I'd much rather have this than a stupid non-transforming Ferrari.

[Lazar]

Yay for Massachusetts! Now where are our food pills?

[kostmayer]

I want to know when I can have my Moller Skycar.

Vertical take off goodness!

[Capt. Jethro]

I want to know when I can have my Moller Skycar.

Vertical take off goodness!

Oh hell yeah............now you're talking.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

The vehicles sell for $194,000.

Steep by car standards but not too bad by plane standards, I'd guess.

[Mikey]

Didn't I post something about Moller SkyCars about six months ago?

I'm still curious as to the licensing requirements. And do they lease?

[Monroe]

Didn't I post something about Moller SkyCars about six months ago?

I'm still curious as to the licensing requirements. And do they lease?

Yeah this isn't the first. I wonder what happens to all those other companies who say they have a flying car then we never hear from them again. Men in black get them, that's what happens!

[Capt. Jethro]

The vehicles sell for $194,000.

Steep by car standards but not too bad by plane standards, I'd guess.

A new Cessna 172 costs between $230,000 and $290,000 depending upon what options are installed. Older ones can go for much, much less, but tack on engine overhaul, avionics upgrade yadda, yadda, yadda. A Cirrus SR22 can go for almost twice that amount, but it looks like a nice ride.

[kostmayer]

Not quite as advanced but..

[Graham Kennedy]

I maintain that the sci-fi dream of a city full of flying cars will never, ever come to pass. A car 1,000 feet up has as much potential energy as a car doing 180 miles per hour has kinetic energy. Imagine a city in which every car crash was that bad, at an absolute minimum. Factor in that these things would be crashing into office blocks, coming down on top of people's houses, you name it.

It's a recipe for disaster, and no matter what the technology it will never be allowed to happen.

[IanKennedy]

What, not even if it were all run by computer. Just think Microsoft Windows for Flying Cars, just imagine the CARnage.

[Tsukiyumi]

"Your engines have performed an illegal operation and must be shut down."

"Crap."

[kostmayer]

Ah, the red windscreen of death.

[Monroe]

What, not even if it were all run by computer. Just think Microsoft Windows for Flying Cars, just imagine the CARnage.

I don't think crashing a car through someone's wall counts as windows

[Tsukiyumi]

I don't think crashing a car through someone's wall counts as windows

Well, I guess it would be a window afterwards.