Terrafugia Flying Car Makes Maiden Flight

You may or may not have heard about the Terrafugia. If not, think of Francisco Scaramanga’s “Is it a car, is it a plane?” scene in James Bond: The Man with the Golden Gun — only now it’s not just fiction.

The Terrafugia is the first working ‘roadable aircraft’, and last week it made its first voyage (voyage may be a bit strong), flying down a runway for approximately 30 seconds and travelling some 3,000 feet. It didn’t soar into the clouds, but it did lift off — an important milestone in bringing flying cars to life.

The flight took place in the early hours of 5 March at Plattsburgh International Airport, with engineers and aviation enthusiasts eagerly watching the moment unfold.

According to the MD, more than forty people have already put down a $10,000 (£7,000) deposit for the new aircraft, which is planned to cost approximately $191,000 (£133,000) and will hit the road/air sometime in 2011.

Terrafugia Performance

Cruise: 100 kts (115 mph)
Rotate: 70 kts (80 mph)
Stall: 45 kts (51 mph)
Range: 400nm (460 mi)
Takeoff over 50′ obstacle: 1700′
Fuel burn: 5 gph
Fuel tank: 20 gallons
Useful Load: 430 lbs
On road: 30 mpg, highway speeds