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It’s a plane! No it’s a car! It’s a flying car! Finally man has realized his dream of an airplane turning into a car by pressing just one button. Yes we are talking about Transition from Terrafugia(USA) . Recently media reported that the first Transition would be brought to India by U.K based Indian entrepreneur, Subhash Shihora. What is flying car, Transition? Why did Subhash Shihora felt the need to buy such a car?

Subhash Shihora with Transition at Chicago in 2009
Since the dawn of the Aviation Age, Man has been trying to build a flying car. In 1917 Glenn Curtiss, the chief rival of the Wright brothers, was the first to design a flying car. His large, three-wing Autoplane was able to hop, not fly. The first flying car to actually fly was built by Waldo Waterman. On March 21, 1937, Waterman’s Arrowbile first took to the air. It could fly at 112 mph (180 km/h) and drive at 56 mph (90 km/h). Many prototypes were developed but none could be taken to the production stage. In recent times, Transition from Terrafugia seems most probable in fulfilling the old age dream.

Transition is a two-seater vehicle in the light aircraft category and requires a private pilot licence to fly it. The vehicle is big enough to fit into a home garage. It can fly at 115 mph, can travel around 500 miles and it runs on unleaded petrol. It’s unique design allows it to fold and extend its wings by pressing a button. It is expected to cost between $200,000 and $250,000, a fraction compared to the most expensive street car Bugatti Veyron ($1.7 million) or the most expensive car the 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe ($8.7 million). Transition is more expensive than a luxury car and a plane. But it addresses the issues that pilots face: cost, weather sensitivity, high overall door-to-door travel time and a lack of mobility at destination. Over 80 such aircraft have been reserved.

Dimensions

Driving:
80” (2m) tall
90” (2.3m) wide
18’ 9” (6m) long
Flying:
78″ (2m) tall
26′ 6″ (8m) wingspan
19′ 9″ (6m) long
Cockpit:
48” at the shoulder
Carry-on luggage
Golf clubs
Two place, side-by-side

Transition is being made by Terrafugia, an aviation firm in Massachusetts(USA). Terrafugia in Latin means escape from the land Terrafugia. was founded by the graduates of MIT in 2006. The idea for the aircraft came to Carl Dietrich, one of Terrafugia’s cofounders in 2004 when Federal Aviation Administration (USA) created a new category of plane, light-sport aircraft which would require only 20 hours of flight time for pilot certification.
Terrafugia started work on proof of concept for Transition in 2006. In 2008 Transition was shown at annual experimental aircraft conference, EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. It did not fly but demonstrated folding of wings to a rapt crowd. In 2009 a test pilot safely took it off and successfully completed its flight test program in New York. Construction, testing and certification of the next generation Prototype are now underway. First customer delivery of a Transition is expected to occur in 2011.
Recently, Subhash Shihora made headlines as the one to buy first Transition and bring it to India by end of 2011 after necessary approvals. Subhash Shihora is of Indian origin working in Urok International, a UK-based consultancy firm. In 2008 Subhash Shihora’s had sued Deccan Aviation airlines for Rs 21 crore when his wife and six-month-old son were not allowed to board a flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad. When he had called the airlines to resolve the issue, he was kept on hold for an hour. He was angry and not wanting to be short-changed again on flights he booked Transition. It would also allow him to attend meetings in different cities in a day – from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, then to Bangalore, Hyderabad and be back home(Ahmedabad).
Terrafugia clarified “He does not at this time have a Transition on order. A special opportunity will be made available to acquire the first Transition which has not yet been  sold (http://www.terrafugia.com/news_media.html).

Will Transition be successful? Who will fly the first Transition? Will Subhash Shihora get his flying car? Only time which flies, will tell!

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