Drones

Terrafugia’s street and air autos obtain FAA certification

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) could be the way of the future for cities crippled by traffic – without a destination, literally, but upwards. The vehicles are there to fly: passenger drones, flying cars – or from Terrafugia, a road and air vehicle that is both. Terrafugia’s Transition® “Roadable Aircraft” has received a special FAA Light Sport Airworthiness Certificate, another step towards getting the ultimate hybrid vehicle into the hands of consumers. Check out the video below to see what the Transition® looks like up close – with folding wings that make it fit in your regular garage.

Terrafugia’s fascinating transportation solution is an integrated 2-seater airplane and automobile. “Transition® was designed to meet safety standards from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),” the company said in a press release. The first step in their plan has now been implemented: the FAA has issued at least the aircraft part of the vehicle with a certificate of airworthiness.

“The vehicle that received the certificate is approved for the flight and represents the original version of the Transition® street aircraft. Terrafugia will produce additional first versions (only for the flight) and sell them to interested parties and help develop the driving part of the Transition® design
the goal of being legal in both the skies and local roads by 2022. “

“We are pleased to have achieved our goal of a first-version certificate of airworthiness.”
said Kevin Colburn, Vice President and General Manager of Terrafugia. “During one extreme
In a challenging pandemic year, our team stayed focused and 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. That’s a major
Performance that gives impetus to our mission to deliver the world’s first
practical flying car. “

It’s a fascinating solution to the challenges of urban mobility. While certification of unmanned passenger aircraft in the United States can be challenging, the transition hybrid is an advancement for urban air mobility. He opens people’s minds to new modes of transport and travels by air for shorter daily trips.

Miriam McNabb is editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a marketplace for professional drone services, and a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has authored over 3,000 articles focusing on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam graduated from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For advice or writing on the drone industry, email Miriam.

TWITTER: @spaldingbarker

Subscribe to DroneLife here.

Related Articles