Terrafugias’ new VTOL hybrid car TF-X will take you anywhere you want!

Terrafugia, founded in Woburn, Mass. by pilot-engineers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with much focus around building practical flying cars is now working on a futuristic flying car, the TF-X. The company is said  to have begun on feasibility studies of a four-seat , vertical takeoff and landing plug-in hybrid-electric aircraft.

 If the DOT and FAA approved the flight design, you could really fly over the highway traffic! Terrafugia also adds that the vehicle will  feature increased safety, simplicity, and convenience for personal aviation by using  intelligent systems and technology. A pilot’s license will be required to fly the TF-X  but “Learning how to safely operate a TF-X vehicle should take an average driver no more than five hours,” the company claims. But the basic idea is you won’t have to fly most of the time and its more like an autopilot. So you could just enter the destination and sit back to enjoy the ride.

TF-X has electrically-powered rotors mounted on the ends of its fold-up wings and they draw their energy from battery. On ground, TF-X is powered by electric motors in wheels or in series hybrid mode by the gas turbine. The battery size and chemistry are yet to be determined but they can either be charged by an electrical outlet, or by gas turbine engine that powers the rear-mounted propeller.

A 500-mile range, with top speed of 200 mph is possible. You will require a clear 100-foot diameter place for takeoffs and landings. Right now the car is in its very early stages of development and design. You could expect this high-end luxury hybrid aircraft in about 8 to 10 years after the $270,000 Transition, which is supposed to start deliveries in 2015 or 2016.

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Source : Terrafugia