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Have $250,000? You can buy a flying car (seriously)
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Toronto Star- In a recent Cineplex video segment, I talked about the future: smart homes, space tourism and flying cars. Well, it appears flying cars will be taking flight as early as next year.
In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently granted special exemptions for the Transition, paving the way for the vehicle to enter production later this year, for a 2012 delivery to customers. The Transition is a "roadable aircraft" that drives on the road like a car, but with a push of a button can extend its wings to fly the friendly skies.
But don't expect to see these cars over your head while sitting on the 401: the Transition must take off and land at an airport like any other aircraft, but then can be driven home and parked in your garage overnight instead of requiring a hangar.
Manufactured by Massachusetts-based Terrafugia, the NHTSA stipulations relate to polycarbonate windscreen and highway-rated tires that must be used while on the road.
The 19-foot long two-seater has a wingspan of 26 feet (when extended), top speeds of 185 kilometres per hour (and about 145 km/hour on the ground), while the 75-litre tank yields a range of about 800 kilometres.
What happens in the event of an in-air emergency? A full-vehicle parachute could be deployed. And there are airbags in case of a ground-based accident.
The company says the car will sell for about US $250,000. To reserve one, the company is taking a refundable deposit of US $10,000 and has about 100 orders so far.
In the U.S., you'll need your "sport pilot" license to fly one, which you can get with a minimum of 20 hours of flight time, says the company. No word yet on what the equivalent Canadian license is and if this will even be street legal north of the 49th parallel.
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