Meet The Jetson's

Picture this: You're running late for work, the traffic is terrible, you have a huge presentation that could literally make or break your career, and you still need to get a cup of coffee and drop the kids off at kindergarten and middle school. Sound familiar? Just imagine a new way to get to work faster and without a single red light. It could be a reality as early as next year.

Terrafugia, a U.S. company is on track to begin manufacturing flying cars. These hybrid vehicles called Transition Roadable Light Sport Aircraft can transform from a car into an aircraft in under 30 seconds. The vehicle will be able to travel by air at 115 MPH and reach top speed of 65 MPH on the street. In fact, it will be just like any other car according to a report in the Sunday Express; you will be able to fuel up at any gas station, it will fit comfortably in any standard garage and when fully fueled it will have a fuel range between 400-450 miles.

The Terrafugia company hopes to manufacture and sell 200 vehicles a year and so far the have taken orders on 100 Transitions. There are still adjustments needed to meet both federal road and aviation standards, but the company is committed to ensuring the project launches on schedule.

There are downsides however to owning a car/plane hybrid. The basic vehicle starts at $194,000, excluding extras such as a radio, transponder and a parachute. Federal safety regulations require driver to have a pilots license, a certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority and the European Aviation Safety Agency. As the technology improves and demand increases future flying cars will become safer, easier to build and more affordable, but for now it will remain a novelty few can afford.

With a few fight lessons and money in hand, that trip across town to the store or across country to grandma's house will become a whole lot faster. Unfortunately, for those of you with kids, you'll probably still get that age old question, "Are we there yet". Well, nothings perfect.


For more information on this story, check out the links below:

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/07/06/the-flying-car/
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/109522/20110207/flying-cars-terrafugia.htm