The First Flying Car in the World Officially Cleared by the FAA for Takeoff, Can Travel 100 Miles Per Hour at 10,000ft
Washington: If you’ve ever had a dream of traveling in a car, then it may not be far off the day when your dream soon becomes a reality. Yeah, you read it correctly, the first flying car in the world that can travel 100 miles an hour and climb up to 10,000 feet has received formal take-off approval from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the United States.
A Special Light-Sport Aircraft airworthiness certificate was awarded to the Terrafugia Transition’ roadable aircraft ‘by the FAA, which meant that the aircraft met the flight requirements. Even though it’s not quite permitted on the road yet, it’s predicted the day will come pretty soon.
The aircraft has a 27-foot wingspan that folds down to a size small enough to fit the entire thing within a single car garage, and it is expected to introduce a complete air and road model of the two-seater craft in 2022.
The ride-only variant of the craft is now available to pilots and flight schools, as per a Daily Mail article, but it will be another year or two before its vehicle components are ‘street legal’ – it also needs to meet the requirements of road safety.
Chinese-owned Terrafugia has released a statement that both a driver’s license and a sports pilot’s certificate will be required for those interested in taking the craft for a spin.
Our team remained focused, strengthened our quality system, completed the critical aspects of the design, built the vehicle, completed 80 days of flight testing, delivered 150 technical documents, and successfully passed the FAA audit,”Our team remained focused, improved our quality system, completed the critical aspects of the design, built the vehicle, completed 80 days of flight testing, delivered 150 technical documents and successfully passed the FAA audit.” an incredibly difficult pandemic year. “This is a major accomplishment that builds momentum in executing our mission to deliver the world’s first practical flying car,” he said.
While the car is powered by a hybrid-electric motor, the airplane engine can run on either premium gasoline or 100LL airplane fuel. Four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, a robust carbon fiber safety cage and an airframe parachute are the standard features of the vehicle. It weighs about 590 kilograms (1,300 pounds) and has a fixed landing gear and a wingspan of 27 feet.
In addition, according to Terrafugia, the plane’s wings can also fold up to allow easy storage in a single-car garage and it converts from flying to driving in less than a minute.
