World’s first practical flying car receives airworthiness certificate

It seems the world is one step closer to turning the sci-fi fantasy of flying cars into a reality. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)  has recently awarded Terrafugia’s Transition with a Special Light-Sport Aircraft airworthiness certificate, meaning it may be used in the air and on the street as soon as 2022.

The Terrafugia Transition, a vehicle that looks like a cross between a car and a miniature airplane, is the world’s first practical flying car.

The two-seat, roadable light sport aircraft features wings that fold and unfold, converting between flight and drive modes in under a minute. Eliminating the hassle of hangar storage, ground transportation and aviation fuel, the Transition fuels up with 91 octane gas and can be stored in your garage.

The Transition is the only aircraft that incorporates the required safety features for both autos and aircraft. Setting a new standard for safety, the vehicle includes an airframe parachute, crumple zones, advanced avionics, rearview cameras and more.

Powered by a 100-hp Rotax 912iS Sport fuel-injected engine with a 2,000 hr TBO, the vehicle has a flight speed of 100 mph and runs on either premium gasoline or 100LL airplane fuel. Standard features include a Dynon Skyview avionics package, a BRS® airframe parachute, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, a rigid carbon fiber safety cage, and folding wings to allow storage in a single-car garage.

Receiving the airworthiness certificate from the FAA is a significant milestone for the company. The vehicle that received the certificate is legal for flight and represents the initial version of the
Transition roadable aircraft.

Terrafugia will produce and sell additional initial (flight-only) versions to interested parties and will evolve the driving portion of the Transition design, with the goal of being legal both in the sky and on local roads in 2022.

“We are excited to have reached our goal of an airworthiness certificate for the initial version,” said Kevin Colburn, Vice President and General Manager of Terrafugia. “During an extremely challenging pandemic year, our team remained focused, improved our quality system, completed the critical aspects of the design, built the vehicle, completed 80 days of flight testing, delivered 150 technical documents, and successfully passed the FAA audit.

“This is a major accomplishment that builds momentum in executing our mission to deliver the world’s first
practical flying car.”

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