Transition (roadable aircraft)

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Transition
Proof of Concept during SciFoo 2008 at Google's headquarters
Role Light-sport aircraft
Manufacturer Terrafugia
First flight March 5, 2009 [1]
Status Under development
Number built 1, Proof of Concept
Unit cost US$194,000

The Transition is a light sport, roadable aircraft under development by Terrafugia, a small start-up company based in Woburn, Massachusetts.

The Rotax 912S piston engine powered, carbon-fiber vehicle is planned to have a flight range of 400 nmi (460 mi; 740 km) using automotive grade unleaded gasoline and a cruising flight speed of 115 mph (100 kn; 185 km/h). It does not come with an autopilot.

On the highway, it can drive up to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h)[2] to keep up with traffic. The Transition Proof of Concept's folded dimensions of 6 ft 9 in (2.1 m) high, 6 ft 8 in (2.0 m) wide and 18 ft 9 in (5.7 m) long are designed to fit within a standard household garage. When operated as a car, the engine powers the front wheel drive. In flight, the engine drives a pusher propeller. The Transition's layout, with folding wings, pusher propeller and twin tail, is similar to experimental aircraft N8072 built by Dr. Lewis A. Jackson in Xenia, Indiana during the 1960s.

The experimental Transition Proof of Concept's first flight was successful and took place under FAA supervision at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York using FAA tail number N302TF. First customer delivery, as of March 2009, is planned for 2011.[1][3][4]

[edit] Specifications

Transition Proof of Concept with wings folded at Oshkosh 2008

Data from Terrafugia Transition Proof of Concept specifications web page [2][5][6]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 pilot
  • Capacity: 2, pilot and passenger
  • Payload: 430 lb (200 kg) ()
  • Length: 19 ft 8 in (6.0 m) ()
  • Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) ()
  • Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) ()
  • Empty weight: 890 lb (400 kg) ()
  • Useful load: 430 lb (200 kg) ()
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,320 lb (600 kg) ()
  • Powerplant: 1× Rotax 912S, 100 hp (75 kW) @ 5800 rpm (max. 5 minutes), 95 hp (71 kW) @ 5500 rpm (continuous) ()
  • Propellers: Prince Aircraft Company, four-bladed "P-Tip"[7][8] propeller, 1 per engine
  • Cockpit width: 51 in (1.3 m) at the shoulder
  • Fuel capacity: 20 US gal (76 L; 17 imp gal)
  • Length on road: 18 ft 9 in (5.7 m) with elevator up
  • Width on road: 80 in (2.0 m) with wings folded
  • Height on road: 6 ft 9 in (2.1 m)
  • Front wheel drive on road

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 100 kts (115 mph or 185 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 45 kts (51 mph or 82 km/h)
  • Range: In flight 400 nmi (460 mi; 740 km); on road 600 mi (520 nmi; 970 km) ()
  • Maximum speed on road: 65 mph (105 km/h)
  • Fuel economy in cruise flight: 5 US gal (19 L) per hour
  • Fuel economy on road: 30 mpg-US (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg-imp)
  • Certifications: Both FAA and FMVSS certifications planned

Avionics
Glass panel; the proof-of-concept airplane includes:[9]

  • Dynon Avionics EFIS-D100 Electronic Flight Information System with HS34 Nav and GPS Connectivity
  • Dynon Avionics EMS-D120 Engine Monitoring System
  • Garmin SL30 Nav/comm transceiver
  • Garmin GTX 327 digital transponder
  • Garmin GPSMAP 496 portable GPS

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Haines, Thomas B. (19 March 2009). "First roadable airplane takes flight". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2009/090319terrafugia.html. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
  2. ^ a b Dietrich, Anna Mracek (2009-03-16). "TransitionSpecs-FirstFlight-200". Terrafugia. http://www.terrafugia.com/TransitionSpecs.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-02. 
  3. ^ Phillips, Matt (March 18, 2009). "Flying Car Takes First Flight". The Middle Seat Terminal (The Wall St. Journal). http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/03/18/flying-car-takes-first-flight/?mod=rss_WSJBlog. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
  4. ^ Mone, Gregory (2008-10). "The Driving Airplane Gets Real". Popular Science: pp. 42–48. http://www.terrafugia.com/news/archives/2008-1001-PopularScience.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-20. 
  5. ^ "Terrafugia - Transition the Roadable Light Sport Aircraft : The Vehicle". Terrafugia. 2008. http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft.html. Retrieved 2009-03-25. 
  6. ^ Haines, Thomas B. (2009-05). "Waypoints: From highway to airway". AOPA. http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2009/may/wp0905.html. Retrieved 2009-05-10. 
  7. ^ "Prince Aircraft Company - Who We Build For". Prince Aircraft Company. http://www.princeaircraft.com/WhoWeBuildFor.aspx. Retrieved 2009-03-28. 
  8. ^ Ryan, David L. (2009-03-18). "'Flying car' at the Museum of Science". Boston.com (The Boston Globe). http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/031809_flying_car?pg=4. Retrieved 2009-03-28. 
  9. ^ "Photo of Transition cockpit at Oshkosh 2008". Flickr. 2008-07-28. http://www.flickr.com/photos/observethebanana/2725313386/. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 

[edit] External links

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