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Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:39 pm
by 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.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:52 pm
by Lazar
Yay for Massachusetts! Now where are our food pills?
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:13 pm
by kostmayer
I want to know when I can have my
Moller Skycar.
Vertical take off goodness!
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:22 pm
by Capt. Jethro
kostmayer wrote:I want to know when I can have my
Moller Skycar.
Vertical take off goodness!
Oh hell yeah............now you're talking.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:43 pm
by Captain Picard's Hair
The vehicles sell for $194,000.
Steep by car standards but not too bad by plane standards, I'd guess.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:14 pm
by 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?
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:30 pm
by Monroe
Mikey wrote: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!
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:36 pm
by Capt. Jethro
Captain Picard's Hair wrote: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.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:25 pm
by kostmayer
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:54 pm
by 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.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:48 pm
by IanKennedy
What, not even if it were all run by computer. Just think Microsoft Windows for Flying Cars, just imagine the CARnage.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:59 pm
by Tsukiyumi
"Your engines have performed an illegal operation and must be shut down."
"Crap."
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:35 pm
by kostmayer
Ah, the red windscreen of death.
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:42 pm
by Monroe
IanKennedy wrote: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
Re: Flying Car Debuts... Sort Of
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:44 pm
by Tsukiyumi
Monroe wrote:I don't think crashing a car through someone's wall counts as windows
Well, I guess it would be a window afterwards.
