Flying Car Lifts Off

On March 5, at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York, a “roadable aircraft” called Transition took flight for the first time. The flight lasted just 37 seconds (see video below), and according to the pilot, Phil Meteer, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, it was merely a brief, wheels-up test along the runway. Transition made six more test flights between March 5 and 7. The flights were approved by the Federal Aviation Agency, which inspected Transition prior to takeoff.

The weird-looking vehicle was developed by a startup based in Woburn, MA, called Terrafugia, which confirmed the test flight in a press conference at the Boston Museum of Science held this morning. The “aero-auto hybrid,” as the company calls it, was also temporarily on display in the museum’s main hall.

The aircraft is designed to be driven on public roads: its wings fold up in 30 seconds, and it operates in front-wheel drive and uses 27 miles per gallon. Transition also fits in a standard garage. In the air, it can reach speeds of 115 miles per hour on flights of 450 miles or less at 30 miles per gallon.