Autoblog

Small plane gives Volvo buzz cut on landing

Zach Bowman — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, Crossover, Volvo, Luxury

Frank and Heather Laudo got a surprise recently as they drove by the Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke, Texas. The couple's Volvo XC90 was struck by a small aircraft coming in for a landing. Student pilot William Davis clipped the roof of the crossover with his plane's fixed landing gear, shattering glass in the vehicle and sending the plane sliding into a field. Davis' wife captured the whole event on film. Neither the pilot nor his instructor were harmed in the collision, though the Laudos were transported to a local area hospital for minor injuries.

WPTV News Channel 5 reports the accident is the latest in a spate of incidents at the Northwest Regional Airport. In September, an instructor and student died in a crash shortly after takeoff, while October saw a pilot crash his biplane into a neighboring field. He was treated for minor injuries. Prior to that, a family of four died in a crash after taking off from the airfield. An instructor at the airport says the events are unrelated to each other. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the latest crash. You can check out a video news report on the event below.

Continue reading Small plane gives Volvo buzz cut on landing

Small plane gives Volvo buzz cut on landing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HondaJet production underway

George Kennedy — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:44:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Honda

During a press conference at the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention in Orlando, Florida, Honda announced that production has begun of its HondaJet line. Honda considers this a major milestone in the development of the business jet. The Japanese company has stated that its next milestones are FAA approval and delivery of its first model.

According to Michimasa Fujino, CEO and President of Honda Aircraft, "An assembly line for HondaJet production is in place, major aircraft components including the fuselage and wing have been produced, and we have started assembly of the first customer aircraft."

Included in the announcement is an explanation of one of Honda's production processes. The Automatic Guided Cart, Known as AGC, it is described as a "mobile robot ... designed to pick up and deliver parts to the production facility's unique assembly areas." (That is, of course, until it becomes self aware, and the reign of our machine overlords begins.)

According to Fujino, "Our commitment to deliver the best possible product that will bring new value to the aviation remains. We have taken the necessary time and effort with the HondaJet program to do it right and give our customers the finest product with the best ownership experience." Honda calls the HondaJet the "most advanced light business jet aircraft." The very first HondaJet is in final assembly now, with testing scheduled for early 2013. Check out more on the HondaJet in the press release below.

Continue reading HondaJet production underway

HondaJet production underway originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: FAA certifies missionary's Subaru-powered flying car

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Off-Road

Missionary Steve Saint and his FAA Certified Flying Car - Click above to watch video after the jump

Some folks don't have the time to sit around and wait for Terrafugia to produce a flying car. Steve Saint is a missionary and the head of I-TEC, a non-profit company that provides technology and training to the indigenous Waodani Indians of Ecuador. He needed a way to get in and out of remote Amazon areas, and a flying car would certainly do the job. Saint decided to build one himself, and it just received FAA Certification.

The car, called Maverick, is a buggy of sorts that is powered by a 250-horsepower Subaru engine. The car is light, so that's enough power to propel it from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds. When Saint wants to take to the air, he raises a 25 foot mast that locks a parachute in place, then he flips one switch, which connects the engine to the large propeller at the rear of the vehicle. The Maverick is now ready to soar through the sky.

Saint may use the Maverick to assist the Waodani tribe, but he insists that there are many other uses for flying cars, and that they could prove to be a useful tool for a wide range of commercial applications. I-TEC believes it can built around 100 cars per year and that they should cost around $80,000.

Engage your mast and parachute to fly over the jump and check out the Maverick in action.

[Source: CNN]

Continue reading Video: FAA certifies missionary's Subaru-powered flying car

Video: FAA certifies missionary's Subaru-powered flying car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrafugia Transition flying "car" gets special FAA exemption, sees clear skies ahead?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:41:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Technology, Specialty

Terrafugia Transition - Click above for high-res image gallery

Another day, another flying car, right? According to The Daily Telegraph, the FAA has just awarded the Terrafugia Transition an exemption which will allow the 1,440-pound car/aircraft hybrid to fly under a "light sport" designation, even though it hits the scales at a hefty 120 lbs. more than the rules allow. A light sport pilot license only requires 20 hours of seat time - far less than what a full license would demand.

Designed to be a viable piece of transportation that's just as happy in the air as it is on the ground, the Transition comes loaded with all of the safety goodies of your standard economy car - airbags and crumple zones come standard. While Terrafugia hasn't exactly said what kind of top speed the Transition can carry on terra firma, it does say the craft gets around 30 mpg when scooting around town.

Should the weather turn sunny and the skies grow clear, however, the Transition can lower its wings, fire up a rear-mounted propeller and take to the air where it can carry a top speed of around 115 mph with a range of 460 miles. Not too shabby. The little carplane only requires an air strip of around 1/3 of a mile, and with its wings folded, can comfortably fit in any garage. Final MSRP is expected to be around $194,000.

Gallery: Terrafugia Transition Flying Car

[Source: The Daily Telegraph | Images: Terrafugia]

Terrafugia Transition flying "car" gets special FAA exemption, sees clear skies ahead? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TSA reminds airline passengers to leave automotive airbags at home

Michael Harley — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a governmental agency tasked with securing all modes of transportation in the U.S., has noticed an increase of airline passengers traveling with airbags - yes, the government-mandated inflatable safety devices that reside in our vehicles to keep us from impacting the steering wheel, dashboard and side pillars in a crash. While airbags are pricey commodities on the secondary market in the States, they are worth even more overseas says the TSA. Looking to save a few bucks, dim-witted passengers are packing the airbags in their checked baggage and carry-on luggage to avoid the legal (but complicated) shipping procedures.

As a refresher, the typical automotive airbag is quite the explosive little bundle - it does not make a great travel companion. Packed tightly within its protective covering is the folded nylon airbag - but that's the inert part. A tiny igniter sits poised behind the bag waiting for the signal to set off the solid propellant (think Space Shuttle SRB). When it goes, a large volume of nitrogen gas is released at about 200 mph - the bag is fully expanded in about 1/25 of a second (it will knock your peanuts clear to first class, if you were wondering).

Common knowledge says these things simply don't blow by themselves - it takes a 12-volt charge to set airbags off (don't try it at home, kids). In any case, the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Security and Hazardous Materials has added airbag actuators to the list of non-approved hazardous materials. The TSA wants to remind everyone to ship the "hazmat" airbags via the proper channels - do not bring them with you on a commercial airliner.

[Source: Transportation Safety Administration, Photo by TSA]

TSA reminds airline passengers to leave automotive airbags at home originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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