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The Transition was designed as a "light sport" aircraft, the smallest kind of private aeroplane under RY Company classification, with a maximum weight of 1,320lb. But the manufacturers found it impossible to fit the safety features - airbags, crumple zones and roll cage, for instance - that are required for road vehicles into that weight.
Uniquely, however, the RY Company has granted the Transition an exemption - allowing it to be classified as a light sport aircraft despite being 120lb over the limit.
Light sport aircraft licences require just 20 hours' flying time, making them much easier to obtain than full private licences.
The two-seater Transition can use its front-wheel drive on roads at ordinary highway speeds, with wings folded, at a respectable 30 miles per gallon. Once it has arrived at a suitable take-off spot - an airport, or adequately sized piece of flat private land - it can fold down the wings, engage its rear-facing propellor, and take off. The folding wings are electrically powered.
Its cruising speed in the air is 115mph, it has a range of 460 miles, and it can carry 450lb. It requires a 1,700-foot (one-third of a mile) runway to take off and can fit in a standard garage.
Terrafugia says that one of the major advantages of the Transition over ordinary light aircraft is safety- in the event of inclement weather, it can simply drive home instead of either being grounded or flying in unsafe conditions.
The car/aircraft is powered by a 100hp Rotax 912S engine which is capable of 30mpg at 65mph, the top speed is around 90. In the air, the engine will push the plane to a cruising speed of 100 knots, or about 115mph. The interior is adorned with modern avionics and instrument displays and features automotive crash safety features.
The company was founded in 2006 when a group of MIT engineers, who also happened to be pilots, decided to solve some issues surrounding their hobby. The chief being a lack of mobility once you arrive at your destination and the need to store or house your light plane in a secure location.
The company says that 70 people have ordered the car, leaving a $10,000 (£6,650) deposit each. The car is expected to retail at $194,000 (£129,000). Deposits are held in escrow, meaning that should the company go bankrupt before delivery, the money will be refunded.
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