Terrafugia Transition Gets Greenlight From FAA

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For those of you who, like me, are vaguely annoyed that the future has utterly crapped out so far on delivering things like jet packs, death rays and flying cars, take heart–at least one of those is now available.

Specifically, it’s the flying car–the Terrafugia Transition has just gotten approval from the FAA for sale and operation in the United States. It’s a 1,440 pound car / plane hybrid with retractable wings, and apparently, there was more than a little legal dispute around this car. The problem was that it actually slightly exceeded the maximum weight requirement to be called a plane, so a little legal wrangling later, and the 120-pound overweight car was reclassified as a “light-sport” plane.

Getting licensed to drive and fly a Terrafugia Transition requires 20 hours of seat time, and the vehicle gets a maximum airspeed of 115 mph with a maximum range of 460 miles. It only needs a 1/3 mile runway to take off–much less than the ordinary–and one of these will cost you $194000. Word is, however, some have already put down deposits on their own flying car, so keep your eyes on the sky–you might just see a commuter going by.