Flying Cars Concept A Step Closer To Becoming A Reality By 2012!!!

Terrafugia Transition brings flying cars one step closer to reality

July 5, 2011

Terrafugia is one step closer to building its Transition flying car thanks to an exemption from highway safety regulations that will legalize the design.

It’s the year 2011, and we aren’t commuting in our personal flying cars, which means we are at least 11 years behind everyone’s prediction. Well Terrafugia is trying to change that with a flying car called the Transition. The Transition is basically a plane that folds up into a car-sized vehicle, which allows you to drive and fly in the same vehicle.

The Transition has been in development for quite some time now, but it has been lacking one key feature: legality.

Today’s announcement from Terrafugia states that the company has received exemption from certain National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) laws. The two exemptions focus on the tires and the windshield of the Transition.

The NHTSA requires that all vehicles that travel on a highway have a windshield that is made out of laminated safety glass, but in order to keep the weight low the Transition needs a polycarbonate windshield. The company claims that not only would a glass windshield be too heavy, but it could also crack and cause a loss of visibility while flying.

The Transition’s tires also received an exemption, even though they are highway-rated for speed and weight, but they do not fit into the NHTSA’s definition of “multi-purpose” tires.transition flying car wings

We still haven’t seen anything of substance from DARPA and their flying car, and as much as we would love to have a jetpack it just doesn’t seem practical at this point. Terrafugia might just be our best chance at a production flying car.

The company’s website states that it is taking orders now, and should start making delivers to customers some time in 2012. Watch out George Jetson, here we come!

Now this should be a real treat, but at what cost. The flying car pictures look pretty neat, although pictures of them in the air would be good. I can't wait to get my first flying vehicle...first flight I go on will be to Hawaii, depending on how good the mileage is on the vehicle hahah.

I also wonder if I would be mistaken for a UFO...as not many people know about this type of craft yet?! What are your thoughts ATS members...cool or what?!?!

reply to post by Skywatcher2011

I never thought this was a good idea. People can barely drive on the road and we want to give them a car that flies? Help us now!

Great... people have enough problem using the turn signal, imagine adding an up/down signal as well!?!

Jokes aside, I'm having trouble conceiving any possible logistics to this becoming a reality, then again. I imagine the costs will resemble that of private helicopters today, ensuring that a very limited number of vehicles will actually be flying.

On a purely personal level... neato!

the Billmeister

reply to post by IAmSoze81

I am probably sure you need to have an aviation license as well as a different type of class of a driver's license. Not everyone will be able to fly a craft hence why you would need to go through an expense flying program first. Moreover, as this is new technology, I think there will also need to be a training manual on how to maintain it. Lastly, it'll be expensive, so not everyone will be able to afford it. Mind you the insurance for one of these babies will be also expensive too

So all the idiots who speed in rush hour traffic like they are on a life and death mission will be allowed fly?
What a nightmare. How long until the first text-flyer crashes into a day care and kills a bunch of kids?
Some ideas are better off left as ideas.

Okay, before anyone posts any more pessimistic opinions, really check out this video below. Be optimistic on here people

Flying cars? Hell from what I have been reading there will be all kinds of things flying around in 2012 Seems like a cool concept but looks a bit bulky...

More closer footage of the flying car....it seems like it has already gone through some major testing and I believe it is gonna be a matter of time before we see these aircraft above our heads in the near future