World's First Flying Car Is Going On Sale And You Can Buy It Next Month For Rs 2.17 Crore!

In case travelling by road just doesn¡¯t cut it for you anymore (needless to say for Indian commuters), you will soon be able to buy the world¡¯s first practical flying car. 'Transition', currently under development by Terrafugia, is all set to hit the market in 2019. As per recent reports, however, the pre-bookings for the flying car will start by as soon as next month.

One look at the Transition shows that it is just as intriguing as unique. Imagine a sleek and sporty two-seater that engulfs two fold-able wings enabling it to take off from the road as and when required. Even more interesting is the fact that it switches between these modes within a minute. Much like the ¡¯Transformers¡¯, eh?

The practicality compromises on speed though, limiting the top speed to 100 mph (~160 kmph) for a total flying range of 400 miles (~644 kms). On road, the speed further drops to the highway limits. This is also because of one of the biggest perks of the Transition, i.e., it runs on automotive gas, as opposed to the aviation fuel required for most of the flying vehicles known to mankind. The gas powers both the Rotax engine used for flying and the hybrid-electric motors for driving.

Terrafugia - Foldable wings of Transition

The fact that it runs on automotive gas and can be easily parked in a home garage makes the Transition practical and to much extent, a prospective buy. But is it for the masses? No, says its price tags. At its current standing price, the Transition can only be owned by those willing to shell out upwards of $300,000 (~Rs 2.17 Cr). But if you think about it, flying has never been very pocket-friendly for humans.

A big challenge with all the man-made flying objects has always been to assure the safety of both the object as well as those around it. Terrafugia claims to have taken care of it by appointing an air-frame parachute on the Transition along with a sizeable crumple zone, airbags, advanced avionics and even rear-view cameras.

A relevant question might also have popped up in your head. Can I drive/fly the Terrafugia with my driver¡¯s License? Well, technically no. This is also mentioned on the Terrafugia website which clarifies the need of a Sport Pilot Certificate to fly the Transition. Add to that, the absence of any laws governing such flying vehicles in most of the countries and the Transition still seems to be a distant dream as a successful commercial product.

That has not stopped Terrafugia from going ahead with the project though. In fact, the company has even started working on a successive model by the name of TF-2 which is ¡°a three-part integrated transportation system¡± as mentioned by the company. The concept appoints two different approaches, one of a tilt-rotor with a performance advantage and another of lift-and-push configuration offering mechanical simplicity.

Terrafugia - TF2

Both the scenarios will use a detachable pod that will be carried through a flying vehicle and a ground vehicle successively. Both the vehicles are idealised to use autonomous capabilities. To take care of the passengers¡¯ entertainment, Terrafugia aims to use features like noise cancelling speakers, wireless charging, touchscreen controls as well as rotatable front seats.

As per the description, If and when the concept is brought to reality, the TF-2 could possibly serve a vast range of purposes, hospitals and related emergencies being a major one of them.

You can check out the Terrafugia Transition in its introductory video below: