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Friday, April 6, 2012

Terrafugia's Transition Roadable Aircraft Production Representative Model Flies

After a lot of dickering with the FAA, it looks as though Terrafugia (if you're into Latin, the name means "flee the ground") is getting closer to having a real product for the flying car enthusiast.  The video at the link below is basically a marketing video, with no data or dialogue, but if you watch carefully you can learn a bit about the plane.  Pretty close-coupled, with serious dihedral, you can see a what looks like a fairly extended dutch roll on takeoff leg at about 0.7 Hz.  No sign of it in the "up and away" footage.  It also seems to have a bit of a pitch bobble on landing, although it seemed to be quite happy to touch down in a flat "four point" attitude, and the ground-rated shocks had no problem.  At a price estimated to be around that of a new 172, it may truly have a market.  Guess we'll see.

http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/04/02/latest-flying-car-makes-first-test-flight/?mod=google_news_blog

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