a street-legal airplane

09/19/12 — airplane, flying, luxury, terrafugia, travel

for those who wanted to be like george jetson but would settle for james bond, i present the terrafugia transition®.  this vehicle is part-airplane, part-car.  terrafugia makes the point to say that the transition® is not a “flying car,” but a “street-legal aircraft.”  the distinction in focus might be insignificant to some, but the company thinks it will help them succeed where other car-plane combos have failed.  here’s how it works:

Before flying, the pilot extends the wings and performs a standard preflight. The engine power is directed to the propeller for flight through a carbon fiber drive shaft.

After landing, the pilot activates the electro-mechanical wing folding mechanism from inside the cockpit. The wings fold, once at the root and once at the mid-span, and are stowed vertically on the sides of the vehicle in less than 30 seconds. Simultaneously, the engine power is directed to the wheels with a continuously variable transmission.

the transition® is still in its testing stages and is expected to cost almost $300,000 when available.  you can see it in action in the demo video below.  for more info, check out terrafugia’s website.  first spotted at fast company.