World’s First Flying Car ‘Transition’ gets approval for take-off by the FAA

Flying cars are one step closer to reality following the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s flight permission to a hybrid two-seat aircraft and automobile. The FAA special light-sport aircraft (LSA) airworthiness certificate was obtained by Terrafugia’s Transition roadable aircraft as a unique hybrid, the flying car is designed to meet safety standards.

With ‘Transition’ drivers will be able to convert the vehicle from driving to flying in less than a minute, taking off and landing in small airports or even at the highway. The car can soar up to 10000 feet at a speed of 100 mph.

The aircraft has a 27-foot wingspan that folds down to a size small enough for the whole thing to fit inside a single car garage, and a full air and road model of the two-seater craft is planned for release in 2022.

Terrafugia’s general manager Kevin Colburn said, “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.”

In 2018, the two-seat Transition was priced at $400,000, NBC News reported. Terrafugia is developing several models of flying car, including the four-person TF-X, a four-seat hybrid electric with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The TF-X is slated to be semi-autonomous, with computer controls that will allow passengers to simply type in their destination.