Autoblog

Terrafugia Transition 'Flying Car' offers serious hang time, but leaves us clouded [w/video]

Michael Harley — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Etc., Technology, MISC

Visitors to the New York Auto Show will be able to take a closer look at the Terrafugia Transition 'Flying Car,' just days after the company's prototype made its first flight. The two-place airworthy machine is perhaps best considered a roadgoing low-wing aircraft (not a 'flying car'), as its technical specifications are anything but earthly.

For starters, the curb weight of the composite and aluminum Transition is just 970 pounds, with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds (useful load is 460 pounds). It is powered by a 1.4-liter Rotax 912ULS, a water-cooled flat-four developing 100 horsepower.

In aircraft mode, the thick automated electromechanical folding wings open and a gearbox transfers power to a four-bladed pusher propeller just behind the cockpit. Top speed in the non-pressurized Transition is about 115 mph, with a flying range of just over 400 miles. In terrestrial mode, with the wings folded and a license plate hanging in the slipstream, power is sent to the rear wheels and the top speed falls to just 65 mph. Fuel economy is about 35 mpg, with an on-road range in excess of 600 miles.

According to Woburn, Massachusetts-based Terrafugia, the company has more than 100 reservations for this novel contraption. If you have Popular Science dreams, get out your thickest checkbook, as the current anticipated base purchase price is a lofty $279,000.

Continue reading Terrafugia Transition 'Flying Car' offers serious hang time, but leaves us clouded [w/video]

Terrafugia Transition 'Flying Car' offers serious hang time, but leaves us clouded [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the PAL-V flying car prototype make its maiden flight

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Videos, Specialty

The PAL-V One is a Dutch take on the flying car, and whereas its Terrafugia contemporary is more like a plane you can drive, the PAL-V One (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) is perhaps more accurately called a driving gyrocopter. According to the company, this flying Dutchman can reach terrestrial speeds of 112 miles per hour and its fuel economy checks in at 28 miles per gallon on the ground. Then once you've found a suitable place to take off, you unfold the auto-rotating main rotor, the gas-engine powered propeller extends, and you can take to the air. Max airspeed is also 112 mph, and airborn range is listed at 220-315 miles.

The PAL-V One has finished its maiden flight and is now working to secure investors for the commercialization phase - the company hopes to start delivering production models in 2014. Scroll below to watch video of the PAL-V one in action on its maiden voyage.

Continue reading Watch the PAL-V flying car prototype make its maiden flight

Watch the PAL-V flying car prototype make its maiden flight originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this the world's first flying car drive-in?

Noah Joseph — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Once upon a time ice cream was delivered in trucks to happy buyers. Then the people drove to the ice cream shop with curbside service. But back in those wonder years, the dream was that one day we'd zip over to the soda fountain in flying cars.

Though people have never stopped trying to make a flying car, that dream never seemed to have taken off, even after decades have passed. To whit, the notion has become something of an item of nostalgia, and at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a group of flying car enthusiasts gathered for some frozen treats and bygone dreams at a local retro malt shop. Follow the jump to watch the video footage.

Continue reading Is this the world's first flying car drive-in?

Is this the world's first flying car drive-in? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Burt Rutan designs hybrid flying car

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Specialty

There have been a lot of tries at making a functional flying car over the years, but things haven't really gotten off the ground yet, considering we aren't all bopping from place to place like George Jetson. Burt Rutan from Scaled Composites has taken a new stab at a workable flying car with the Rutan Designs Model 367 "Bipod."

It's a bi-pod airplane with a 31-foot wingspan when you want it to be, and a seven-foot-wide, deliciously odd grocery getter when you don't. There's a lot that's novel about the design, including its Chevrolet Volt-like gasoline generator powering electric motors that makes up its propulsion system.

Rutan also addressed the problem of unifying car and airplane controls by putting each set of controls in a separate pod. On the right, you have a yoke for when you're airborne. On the left, the controls for travel on terra firma.

The Model 367 cruises at 100 miles per hour, and has an estimated range of 760 miles. Push it, and you can hit 200, but that knocks your range down to just 530 miles. For what it's worth, Rutan says this will be his last project before his previously announced retirement goes into effect. See the complete press release after the break.

Continue reading Burt Rutan designs hybrid flying car

Burt Rutan designs hybrid flying car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrafugia flying car gets DOT exception but faces delays

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Terrafugia has moved one step closer to bringing the world a flying "car". The Department of Transportation has granted the company a host of exemptions needed to get the Terrafugia Transition ready for the road. The plane/car-hybrid already employs a gaggle of automotive crash technology, such as crumple zones and airbags, but it needed help moving past a few of the standard car requirements that just don't work for something with wings.

A special set of tires are fitted to the Transition, which is rated for highway speeds, but it's also designed to take the abuse that comes with multiple takeoffs and landings. Additionally, the cockpit is not wrapped with traditional laminated automotive glass. That would add weight, and also severely affect the pilot's vision in the event of a bird strike. Polycarbonate windows are the preferred porthole material.

The DOT and NHTSA exemptions are a positive step forward for Terrafugia. Unfortunately, the company has experienced a half-step backwards. A few design issues coupled with third-party supply restraints have pushed Transition production backwards. Initially, Terrafugia hoped to display a production Transition in 2011. Now, however, it seems that 2012 will be the year for our Jetson's dreams to inch closer to reality. In the interim, we'll have to be happy renaming our Roomba, Rosie.

Terrafugia flying car gets DOT exception but faces delays originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:58:00 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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Report: Terrafugia flying car to start production by end of year

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Specialty

Terrafugia Transition flying car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Terrafugia, the Massachusetts-based flying car company, has announced that it is one step closer to putting a road-and-air-going flying car in your driveway. A suitable production facility has been located in Woburn, MA, just down the road from the company's headquarters. A story posted on USAToday.com states that production could begin within three months, and that Terrafugia plans to hire 50 skilled workers over a period of three years. Extensive testing will begin on two prototypes - one will focus on flight behavior while the other will stick to the ground. If that's the case, three months seems pretty optimistic.

Regardless, we are getting closer to realizing many a young person's dream. A flying car evokes romantic visions of picking up a date then soaring through the clouds. Sure, the styling of the Terrafugia Transition is a cross between a PT Cruiser and a Paul Walker Pep Boys special, and yes, we are also aware that the skies will eventually become clogged with traffic and flying down the Air-405 will be a nightmare. Still, it's not often you get to see a childhood fantasy come to life.

Gallery: Terrafugia Transition - First Flight

[Source: USA Today]

Report: Terrafugia flying car to start production by end of year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where are the flying cars we were promised? Popular Mechanics thinks it has the answer

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Specialty

Terrafugia Transition - Click above for high-res image gallery

Surely, you're familiar with the Jetsons, the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon world from the 1960s that was said to take place in the year 2062. Too futuristic for your blood? How about Ridley's Scott's Blade Runner, which starred Harrison Ford and was supposed to show life in the year 2019? And then there's Back to the Future II, which is even closer to our modern day, depicting life at 2015.

What's the constant in all of these retro-futuristic takes on what tomorrow may hold? ~~Hoverboards.~~ Flying cars. We're not sure about you, but we don't see no stinkin' flying cars floating down our streets. So, what gives? Besides reality, of course. Well... actually, reality is the key. The problem with flying cars from 50 years ago all the way until today remains the same: because the machine needs to operate just as capably in the sky as on the ground, compromises have to be made.

Compromises don't exactly equal success in the automotive or airplane marketplace. To meet government regulations, an automobile must pass a stringent series of safety and environmental tests, and the same is true for airplanes. Needless to say, then, combining the two is pretty darn difficult to accomplish. That said, Popular Mechanics has found reason to be excited about the prospect of the Terrafugia flying car. If that's a topic that interests you, we suggest you click here to read all about it.

Gallery: Terrafugia Transition Flying Car

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Where are the flying cars we were promised? Popular Mechanics thinks it has the answer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maverick flying car can actually fly, and you'll never be without a parachute

Zach Bowman — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Specialty, South America, Off-Road

i-tec Mavric flying buggy - Click above for high-res image gallery

In a lot of ways, we've been shortchanged on the transportation front. We were supposed to be jetting around in flying cars by the year 2000, but unfortunately, our vehicles remain firmly bolted the ground below them. At least for now. A company by the name of i-tec is out to build and sell an off-road vehicle capable of taking to the skies in a bid to bring missionaries to the far-flung reaches of the Amazon. Called the Mavric, the buggy weighs a heady 1,100 lbs, but manages to get off the ground thanks to a massive, carbon-fiber blade reverse-prop 128-horsepower engine and an ultra-light style airfoil.

The FAA has granted the Mavric experimental status, and the i-tec crew has been putting the buggy through its paces. While the company specifically wants to use its invention to buzz around in the rain forest, it also has an eye on selling its flying off-roader to companies that spend time inspecting expanses of pipe or fence in unruly terrain. We just want one to use to terrorize our neighborhood.

Gallery: i-tec Mavric

[Source: i-tec]

Maverick flying car can actually fly, and you'll never be without a parachute originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:28:00 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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Report: Washington starting its own "Transformer" program

Dan Roth — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology, Military, Specialty

The obvious glib commentary here would invoke Optimus Prime, or something. Instead, we're going to digress momentarily and say that the best kind of transformer involves an LP record and an SL1200. Either way, DARPA has its own transforming going on. The Pentagon's latest initiative has been dubbed Transformer, and it aims to make the prognostications of 1955 come true - flying cars and all. (Bonus points for DARPA if they can get them to fold up neatly into briefcases.)

Pushing military technology is the purpose; the primary goal is a vehicle capable of both driving on the road and flying. Such abilities would allow the vehicle to cross difficult terrain more efficiently, especially considering the vertical take off and landing capability the design brief calls for. Other bullet points include low cost and maximal military utility.

Flying cars have been developed before, all with some level of compromise. Even now, there's the Moller SkyCar, and the Terrafugia Transition; both are nearing feasible production, albeit with large, six-figure price tags. If you've developed a car to fly over traffic jams like we all wish for, you've got less than a week to register with DARPA for the January 14th kickoff.

[Source: Inside Line | Image: Hanna-Barbera]

Report: Washington starting its own "Transformer" program originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Biofuel Skycar headed for production in 2010

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Etc., Specialty

Parajet Skycar prototypes - Click above for high-res image gallery

Earlier this year, the Parajet Skycar Expedition, featuring the "World's First Bio-fuelled Flying Car," flew from London, England to Timbuktu in Mali, Africa. If you lusted over something so incredibly cool - a car that can transform from ground to air mode in about three minutes and actually works in both areas, then we've got good news for you: Parajet International Ltd has struck a deal to produce road-legal SkyCars with Rage Motorsport Ltd.

Rage will build the vehicle and Parajet will add all the parts that make it fly. A mock-up of the vehicle is pictured here, but Parajet says a "totally new chassis is being designed for the SkyCar which accommodates the rear fan system into the tubular chassis work." This will reduce weight by about 80 kg (176 lbs). Other changes are to include a re-positioned rear parachute, more legroom and a three-cylinder, 140 horsepower fuel-injected Yamaha engine. How long will you have to wait for one? Parajet says test flights of the skycar should happen this September and the release date could be early 2010.

Watch a CNN-produced video of the Skycar in action after the jump.

Gallery: Biofueled Skycar

[Sources: Parajet Ltd; CNN.com]

Continue reading Biofuel Skycar headed for production in 2010

Biofuel Skycar headed for production in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: One of six Aerocars ever made

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions

Click above for more shots of the Aerocar in eBay

Now here's something you just don't see every day. In fact, we'd wager most people will never see an original Aerocar in person at all, considering that only six were ever made. Now that one has managed to pop up on eBay Motors, this could be your chance to own a small piece of history. Built in 1956, this red and black Aerocar hasn't been flown since the late '70s, but looks to have been stored properly and appears to be in remarkably good shape.

Powered by a single Lycoming engine offering up 135 horses, the Aerocar is capable of hitting 112 miles per hour in the air and about half that on the tarmac. The whole kit was an amazing when it was designed in the 1940s with its front-wheel drive chassis propping up foldable wings that are towed behind when not needed along with a rear-mounted detachable pusher prop. The transformation from automobile to airplane reportedly takes one man just five minutes to complete.

Such a unique and historically significant machine isn't going to come cheap. In the case of the Aerocar, a cool $3.5 mil is all that's required to ~~fly~~ ~~drive~~ trailer it home for yourself. To quote Dr. Jones, this thing belongs in a museum.

Gallery: 1956 Aerocar on eBay

[Source: eBay]

eBay Find of the Day: One of six Aerocars ever made originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2008: Milner Motors AirCar lands in Javits Center

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:39:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Green

Click above for high-res gallery of the flying car from Milner

Our environmentally-attuned brethren at AutoblogGreen pointed us into the lower hall of the Javits Center to check out something they knew we'd love. After wading through the trucks and specialty makers on hand, we reached the Milner Motors booth. To one side was the Milner Motors ElectriCar. Across from it was the Milner Motors AirCar, which was what we came to see. Essentially the same as its electric vehicle, the flying car adds a set of wings and twin engine nacelles that theoretically supply enough thrust and lift for 1,000 miles of flight at 200 MPH. When earthbound, the wing package folds up and the car's 40-hp electric motor powers it up to 85 mph thanks to its light weight and great aerodynamics (the cd is only .209). This particular one is a non-functioning prototype, but we think we'll toss it off the roof of the Empire State building to test its glide prowess. We can only guess how much fun this thing might be if we could figure out a way to use those jet engines and their extra 300 hp to power this 1,800 lb. missle on the ground.

Gallery: Milner Motors AirCar

New York 2008: Milner Motors AirCar lands in Javits Center originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson 2008: Panoz Esperante Flying Car

Drew Phillips — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:21:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Etc.

Click above for high resolution photos of the car

We doubt Danny Panoz envisioned anyone attaching wings to an Esperante, let alone actually flying one. Of course, throw Jesse James of West Coast Choppers into the equation and anything can happen. This 2004 Panoz Esperante actually took flight on an episode of Monster Garage, making it off the ground for 280 feet before touching down safely. The interior has been stripped to make room for a full roll cage, a propeller is mounted in the trunk, and the 36' wings are handmade.

The final bid of $45,000 ($54,000 after auction fees) wasn't too high, although the Monster Garage cars haven't been commanding high numbers. We can't imagine what exactly you would want to do with this vehicle, so it's no surprise that bidding didn't come close to six figures.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: Panoz Esperante Flying Car

Barrett-Jackson 2008: Panoz Esperante Flying Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Commence holding breath: X-Hawk flying car could be here by 2010

John Neff — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:34:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

The flying car is the equivalent of transportation's carrot on a stick. It's a concept that always seems to be 3-5 years down the road. According to an Isreali inventor named Rafi Yoeli, the flying car will actually be here by 2010 in the form of his X-Hawk. The X-Hawk uses a ducted fan design that allows it to have the same manueverability of a helicopter without exposed blades that prevent choppers from hovering near buildings and the like. Yoeli's own company, Urban Aeronautics, is developing the X-Hawk first as a workhorse vehicle that could be used by firefighters, rescue teams, and the military to aid in the recovery of people stranded in hard to reach places.

Like a helicopter, the X-Hawk can take off and land vertically, it will be able to fly up to 155 mph, reach an altitude of 12,000 ft and remain in the air for two hours. The size of the X-Hawks rotors, which are powere by four internal combustion engines, will be much smaller than a helicopters, which will make the vehicle quieter but also guzzle 50% more fuel. The X-Hawk only exists as a full-scale mockup right now, but Yoeli expects an unmanned Mule version to fly in 2009. A larger version capable of carrying ten people is also planned. The estimated price for an X-Hawk will make a Veyron owner blush: between $1.5 and $3.5 million, and Yoeli admits those estimates might be low.

At this point, we're prepared to pony up whatever cash is necessary to make the most famous example of automotive vaporware a reality. Check out more details on the X-Hawk after the jump.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Related posts:
eBay Find of the Day: Moller SkyCar
LaBische FSC-1TM could be the flying car we're waiting for
The Hammerhead: Is this the flying car we've been waiting for?
Alfa Romeo Spix flying concept car
NASA funds Flying Car competition

Continue reading Commence holding breath: X-Hawk flying car could be here by 2010

Commence holding breath: X-Hawk flying car could be here by 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Hammerhead: Is this the flying car we've been waiting for?

John Neff — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:38:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc.

The Moller SkyCar. The Terrafugia. The Alfa Romeo Spix flying concept car. All three of these winged machina have been dangled in our faces like a carrot at the end of an impossibly long stick. Jeff Allen Case is hoping he'll be the first to deliver on the promise of flying cars with his Hammerhead prototype. He's a few steps behind the Moller SkyCar and Terrafugia, having only a couple renderings of the Hammerhead and a spec sheet that exists on paper only. The Hammerhead has a three-fan configuration with two forward fans that tilt for both lift and thrust. Though we weren't told what engine would power the Hammerhead, Case says he expects a top speed of 250 mph at 8,000 ft. with a range of 300 miles. It both takes off and lands vertically, and Case claims the vehicle is characterized by being lightweight, easy to operate, safe and fast. The renderings show a one-seater cockpit, but the production version would seat two in tandem. Of course, a production version is the next step that the Hammerhead won't reach until Case finds some funding. He's hoping Jay-Z or P. Diddy might be interested in supplying the Benjamins needed to put the Hammerhead in production, but we suggest he go for that second mortgage and enter his design in NASA's Personal Air Vehicle Challenge. Perhaps he can catch the attention of some deep pockets at DARPA.

Follow the jump for an additional high resolution shot of the Hammerhead.

[Source: Jeff Allen Case]

Continue reading The Hammerhead: Is this the flying car we've been waiting for?

The Hammerhead: Is this the flying car we've been waiting for? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaBische FSC-1TM could be the flying car we're waiting for

John Neff — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:04:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc.

We swear to all that is good and holy that we will not leave the mortal shackles of this terrestrial plane until we see flying cars become a reality. Perhaps the LaBische FSC-1TM will be the flying car that allows us to die in peace. If so, by the time we expire the skies will be filled with the FSC-1TM that features wings and a rear propeller that both fold up and disappear inside the car when driving on the street. When airborne the craft can reach speeds up to 275 mph, a figure based on calculations garnered from scale model prototypes being tested by LaBische. While we were hoping flying cars of the future would be powered by scramjet technology, if it's got to be prop-driven, then so be it. While a full-scale functioning prototype of the FSC-1TM has yet to be produced, the company is accepting deposits for build-it-yourself kits that will set you back $175,000 upon delivery. Upon delivery... we're waiting.

[Source: LaBische via Engadget]

LaBische FSC-1TM could be the flying car we're waiting for originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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