14 May 2013
In its latest attention-grabbing announcement, flying car manufacturer Terrafugia has revealed plans to develop a four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric car which the company says will also be capable of vertical takeoffs and landings, with fly-by-wire controls.
According to the company, the aircraft, named the TF-X, will be safe, simple and convenient, with a 500-mile range, 200mph cruise speed, and the ability to take off vertically from a clearing with a 100ft diameter.
Terrafugia CEO/CTO Carl Dietrich said, “This is the right time for us to begin thinking about the future of the company beyond Transition development. We are passionate about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry and are dedicating resources to lay the foundations for our vision of personal transportation.”
Terrafugia lays out the perceived advantages of a flying vehicle in a release. ‘By directly addressing congestion and other transportation challenges currently being faced internationally, widespread adoption of vehicles like the Transition and TF-X™ could result in significant economic benefits and personal time savings.’
The team at Terrafugia believes that the Transition serves as a Proof of Process for TF-X development and commercialisation through the many technical, regulatory, and usage challenges it has overcome. Whether this concept will be taken up by the flying community remains to be seen. <a href=’http://www.terrafugia.com’ target=’_blank’>www.terrafugia.com</a>
