Street-legal flying car cleared for takeoff

hearaldsun.com.au ^ | 3 April 20122 | AFP

[smokingfrog]

DRIVERS hoping to slip the surly - and traffic congested - bonds of Earth moved a step closer to realising their dream, as a US firm said it had successfully tested a street-legal plane.

Massachusetts-based firm Terrafugia said their production prototype "Transition" car-plane had completed an eight-minute test flight, clearing the way for it to hit the market within a year.

"With this flight, the team demonstrated an ability to accomplish what had been called an impossible dream," said founder Carl Dietrich.

The two-seater craft, which has the rounded features of a Fiat 500 and collapsible wings, is on presale for US$279,000 ($A267,869) and some 100 vehicles have already been ordered.

While many companies have successfully built a flying car, none have succeeded in producing more than a handful of models.

[19th LA Inf]

Most carrier-based airplanes have folding wings, and there have been a few cases where pilots tried taking off with the wings folded. I believe there was a case at Naples of an F8 Crusader, one of the hottest in its day, which got airborne with the wings folded and made it back to the runway. Of course, the 'Sader's wings only folded in the outboard sections.

If this "flying car" makes it to the market, I will bet it will be only a matter of time until some "driver" tries the same stunt.

[luvie]

Are you ok? heard about the tornadoes in your immediate area. :\