For many experimental aircraft, earning an airworthiness certificate is enough of a challenge. However the Terrafugia Transition is a special form of flying machine, requiring approval not just from the FAA, but additionally from the USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), since this air / land hybrid is probably going to spend just as much time cruising down the highway because it will flying 5,000 feet above. The Transition is now slightly in the direction of takeoff, with the NHTSA granting exemptions for absent airbags, a missing electronic stability system, and the plane’s lightweight polycarbonate windows (polycarbonate is lighter than automotive safety glass, and will not shatter and obscure a pilot’s vision within the event of a bird strike). Unfortunately the Transition still has other hurdles to fly over — its cabin is restricted to carrying 330 pounds when fully fueled, including passengers, and the cost has jumped 41 percent, to $250,000. Meanwhile, Terrafugia hopes to go forward with production later this year, bringing the ‘flying car’ slightly toward a runway (and highway) near you.
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