Published 8 July 2011
The U.S. Department of Transportation gave Massachusetts-based Terrafugia two important exemptions which would allow the company to offer its flying car -- the Transition -- to customers next year; the exemptions allow the company to use different tires and different laminated protective glass, and come on top of a 110 lb. allowance the FAA gave the company last year; these allowance and exemptions mean the flying car will not be treated as plane by the FAA, and those who fly it will not have to obtain a pilot license
The Terrafugia Transition, parked // Source: engadget.com
The flying car is here. The Transition, from Woburn, Massachusetts-basedTerrafugia, has received approval from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), thus clearing the way for delivery to customers sometime next year.
The Transition is the first combined flying-driving vehicle to receive such special consideration from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) since the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards came into being in the 1970s. The company says these exemptions pave the way for Terrafugia to begin deliveries once Terrafugia’s Transition certification testing program is complete. The company says that it and industry partners also employ analysis and simulated crash testing to ensure that the Transition meets all other applicable crash safety standards.
“The Transition is the only light airplane to have undergone this high level of crash safety design and analysis,” the company says. “It is also the first to incorporate automotive safety features such as a purpose-built energy absorbing crumple zone, a rigid carbon fiber occupant safety cage, and automotive-style driver and passenger airbags.” Read more
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