Posted on 08/02/2010 7:43:49 AM PDT by JoeProBono
For anyone who’s ever wanted to skip airport security lines and boarding delays, a newly designed flying car may pave the way for future personal transportation.
Developers unveiled a scale model of the redesigned Transition "roadable aircraft" (pictured in a digital rendering) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Monday. The new design is both a rear-wheel drive road vehicle and a light sport aircraft that can cruise at 105 miles (170 kilometers) an hour.
Developed by the Terrafugia company, the tweaked design—which adds carlike headlights and a license plate holder, among other things—follows a proof-of-concept Transition, which was successfully tested in 2009.
Yes, but she was a special option — not standard equipment.
Flying car: Lousy car and lousy airplane.
I think its pretty cool.
Remarkably similar to the new one, eh?
I remember it when I was a KID!!(21) (I’m 60 now)
The plane is still in the ‘testing’ phase!
I don’t think Moller will ever get it into production..
they have been scamming for investors for decades.
My uncle built an aircraft with this very design in his garage about 35 to 40 years ago. His name was Dewey Bryan. He died in the craft while demonstrating it at the Oshkosh Air Show (I don’t remember the year but I was 13 or 14 at the time -I’m fifty now). He lived in Michigan and tested the craft on a frozen lake.
He also invented the Vertibird (http://www.samstoybox.com/toys/Vertibird.html) and demo-ed it to Mattel. They said they weren’t interested and a year or two later they were selling them like hotcakes.
Just a few amatuer observations:
The test vehicle looks to be performing low speed tests (hopefully), since the Cessna appears to be moping along with the flaps lowered ‘a notch’.
The ‘improved’ model looks to have early Piper Cherokee style wings; stable, but stubby and famous for their steep glide.
The ‘improved’ model should avoid those great plains 2 lane roads where the oncoming semis could possibly blow it clean off of the road. After all, the folded up wings make the carplane look to be about as aerodynamic as a doghouse.
A bird strike is one thing. A deer strike would most likely total it out.
The good news for this company: here in IL, thanks to the road repaving projects funded by the Chinese for the ‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’, the suspension of the carplane just may last until the warranty ends. (heh)
Yep.
Their website says they have been in ‘production and testing’ since the 1960’s.
Money pit..
Everyone (including me) who mistook this excellent cg rendering for actual photography, head smack... Now! D’oh!
"cool, now old people and Asian folk can get blamed for slowing down the 1700 ft level"
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