terrafugia
in a release issued by terrafugia, auto show director alan liebensohn said they were thrilled to have terrafugia and the transition at the show this year .
based on these factors, we conclude that terrafugia has demonstrated the requisite economic hardship .
terrafugia achieved widespread publicity after its first aircraft in 2009; the fixed - wing terrafugia transition is “the world’s first practical flying car” and the company is now ramping up for production .
terrafugia is taking the automobile game to a whole new level with this hybrid electric aircraft .
terrafugia flyng cars: the company said monday that its flying car has completed its first test flight. the terrafugia flying cars will be unveiled at the new york auto show this week .
just months later, in june, terrafugia was given the go ahead to certify its vehicles .
above you see terrafugia' s transition, its first flying car that was completed in 2014 .
volvo’s parent company geely has acquired flying car startup terrafugia, bringing vehicles that transition from the roads to the skies a step closer to reality. terrafugia' s concept car tf - x is pictured
n june 2010, the faa granted terrafugia an exemption for the transition' s extra takeoff weight .
we are a privately funded company. for more information about investment opportunities with terrafugia, please click here .
in the past, terrafugia has claimed its designs could be ready to fly within the next few years .
“with this achievement, terrafugia has set the stage for personal aviation, ” dietrich said at the press conference .
below is a summary of the compliance efforts and costs for each of the requirements from which terrafugia seeks exemption .
slated for delivery in 2015, terrafugia is selling a street - legal flying car for $ 279, 000 .
terrafugia is now taking deposits for the world’s first practical flying car, the transition ®. reserve yours today !
according to massachusetts - based terrafugia, a full - size unmanned prototype is expected to be ready by 2018 .
based in woburn, massachusetts, terrafugia’s mission is to make flying cars a practical reality. terrafugia’s core competencies are vehicle design, flight and drive testing, and the development of international certification standards. terrafugia has flown and driven two prototype vehicles, and is an active participant in astm committees f37, f38, f39, and f44. terrafugia is actively developing technologies and standards for simplified vehicle operations that will utilize the next generation of electric propulsion and automation .
the vehicle was developed by former nasa engineers and built by a small american company from massachusetts, terrafugia, inc .
terrafugia stated that it has spent approximately $ 3. 5 million since 2006 on the development of the transition® and has had no appreciable revenue during that time. terrafugia acknowledged that it has received over 80 orders for vehicles but that due to escrow agreements for each deposit, these funds are not accessible operating funds. terrafugia' s confidential records support its assertion that it has experienced a continuing and cumulative net loss position. additionally, one commenter agreed with terrafugia that the cost of complying with the advanced air bag requirements and the esc system requirements would represent a significant financial burden to terrafugia .
mr. dritten also questioned terrafugia' s efforts to comply and whether the exemption sought was in the public interest. mr. dritten noted that development of the transition® began in 2006 and questioned why terrafugia had not requested an exemption earlier .
likewise, the agency does not consider the timing of terrafugia' s petition for exemption to reflect negatively on the company' s efforts to comply. terrafugia' s petition is dated july 20, 2010. in the petition, terrafugia requested an exemption beginning with the first transition® delivery on or near december 1, 2011, over 16 months later. the agency considers this to be a sufficient period to carefully consider the merits of terrafugia' s petition and make a reasoned decision .
terrafugia stated that the denial of the requested exemption will result in substantial economic hardship. the company indicated that it has spent
terrafugia is based in woburn, ma, and initial prototyping and production will be done on - site in our facility .
in october 2008, terrafugia reported seeking reservations for airframe number 57, and a more than us $ 8 million backlog .
the terrafugia transition is a roadable aircraft that was tested last year. darpa' s plans for the transformer x call for the vehicle to be capable of flying on autopilot and driving off - road, among other features. credit: terrafugia .
however, massachusetts - based firm terrafugia said the tf - x will still be another eight to twelve years in development .
in this section, we provide our analysis and decision regarding terrafugia' s temporary exemption request from the requirements of various fmvsss .
terrafugia will contribute expertise in
drive and flight integration, deployable flight surfaces, and automotive crash safety for an aircraft .
richard joined terrafugia with over 25 years of executive - level experience in all phases of financial service company operations and risk management .
terrafugia stated that it faces two challenges with an off - the - shelf esc unit. first, an esc system would add 6
the terrafugia transition
roadable aircraft
- the nearest thing to a flying car yet built - has made its first test flight .
although those rules have yet to be put in place, the faa recently granted terrafugia permission to test its tf - x outdoors .
in sum, we believe that, considering terrafugia' s overall situation, the efforts that the company has made to date, and the plans it has in place, terrafugia has made good faith efforts to comply with the requirements from which it seeks a temporary exemption .
7. terrafugia initially stated that it planned to begin production in late - 2011 but subsequently indicated that its production plans had been delayed .
today, degrees in hand, they have started their own company, terrafugia, flown a prototype, and are now manufacturing the vehicles .
terrafugia was founded in 2006 by students from mit' s aeronautics and astronautics' department to realize the dream of creating a flying car .
terrafugia is the company that has come closest to building and selling a flying car. based in woburn, ma, outside boston, it was founded in 2006. terrafugia is latin for escape from earth. the terrafugia transition first escaped the runway in 2009 for brief takeoff - landings and has been test - flown since. terrafugia’s current thinking is to ship the first transitions in 2015 or 2016. the price is listed at just under $ 300, 000, about the same as the cessna 172, the most popular airplane built. that begs the question, is the transition underpriced, or maybe the cessna is overpriced? either way, terrafugia reports more than 100 deposits for the transition .
one of the public comments questioned terrafugia' s general efforts to comply. specifically, the commenter noted that terrafugia could have designed the transition® with three wheels instead of four, thus saving weight, allowing for the installation of additional safety features, and avoiding the need to comply with the safety standards required for four - wheel vehicles. the commenter also questioned why terrafugia did not request an exemption earlier in the development process .
flying - car maker terrafugia inc. made its auto - show debut in new york today and offered a “show special” discount to prospective customers .
the woburn - based firm terrafugia, (latin for
escape the earth
) is turning fantasy into reality with its transitional roadable aircraft .
terrafugia is a growing aerospace company founded by pilots and engineers from mit and supported by a world - class network of advisers and private investors .
volvo’s parent company geely has acquired flying car startup terrafugia, bringing vehicles that transition from the roads to the skies a step closer to reality .
terrafugia co - founder and ceo carl dietrich (pictured above in 2013) and board member semyon dukach both declined to comment on the news .
on november 16, 2010 we published a notice of receipt of terrafugia' s petition for temporary exemption in the federal register (75 fr 70071), and provided an opportunity for public comment. we received ten comments in response to the notice, as well as a response from terrafugia .
6. terrafugia explained that general aviation is the segment of the air transportation industry characterized by flight outside of the commercial airline system and military operations .
terrafugia began development of the transition in 2006, flying a proof - of - concept aircraft in 2009 and a second - generation prototype in 2012 .
terrafugia intends to build flying cars. their tf - x program is aimed at producing a commercial personal aircraft and bring personal aviation into the mainstream .
the agency acknowledges that terrafugia faces impediments beyond the expense of advanced air bag technology and believes that it is consistent with the public interest to grant the requested exemption. however, in light of nhtsa' s reexamination of the agency' s policy regarding exemptions from the advanced air bag requirements, we do not believe that the three - year exemption requested is warranted. instead, we are granting terrafugia a one - year exemption from the advanced air bag requirements. although this period is shorter than that requested by terrafugia, this exemption will allow terrafugia to begin production and continue its efforts toward full compliance .
as a small company, terrafugia has taken a long time to get its product to market. then again, no one else has successfully sold a flying car yet. it sounds like geely’s backing and car - manufacturing facilities could greatly advance terrafugia’s vision—if the integration and cultural issues can be sorted out .
the terrafugia' s $ 279, 000 price point is a lot lower. but it' s still based on assumptions about labor costs, production efficiency, the price of raw materials, and more. by way of comparison, the terrafugia' s current price tag is about the same as that of a new cessna 172, the most - produced aircraft in history. and its development costs were amortized before terrafugia' s builders were even born .
“ninety percent of the total program risk is in the first flight and we’re past that, so terrafugia has taken off in more ways than one. ”
terrafugia estimated that by 2015, the production of the transition® will provide 500 manufacturing, engineering, and support jobs to the u. s. economy .
11. terrafugia explained that this figure is based on identified cost vs. weight trade - offs, such as material replacement, and a minimal margin .
we' ve been doing high - speed taxi testing ,
said cliff allen, a veteran pilot and terrafugia' s vice president for sales .
the terrafugia transition is a two - seater car that can convert from road to air in less than a minute, without the driver leaving the vehicle .
carl dietrich, co - founder of terrafugia, told business insider that you can get a license to operate the transition in as little as 20 hours .
no one associated with terrafugia was willing to talk on the record with me, since the acquisition by geely isn’t yet a done deal. but on linkedin this month, an executive named chris jaran quietly changed his affiliation: he’d been a vice president for bell helicopters in china. now, he’s terrafugia’s new ceo .
terrafugia also provided an animation showing how the t - fx would operate. to take - off, the video shows how electric - powered propellers tilt 90 degrees
terrafugia seeks an exemption from the glazing material requirements (s5 of fmvss no. 205), which affect the transition' s® windshield and side windows. terrafugia stated that installing compliant glazing materials, such as traditional laminated safety glass, would result in 29 pounds (13. 2 kg) of additional weight. terrafugia equipped its proof of concept vehicle with custom - made fmvss - compliant safety glass, but this vehicle was not light enough to comply with the lsa weight restrictions, and terrafugia was unable to remove sufficient weight from the aircraft to accommodate compliant glazing materials. terrafugia calculated that the removal of 29 pounds from the transition® would cost $ 420, 500 in development costs, would increase the price of each vehicle by a minimum of $ 121, 800, and would delay production of the vehicles .
weighing these factors, the agency does not believe that a three - year exemption from fmvss no. 126 is warranted. instead, we are granting terrafugia a one - year exemption. although this period is shorter than that requested by the company, the exemption will allow terrafugia to begin production and continue to work towards compliance .
on march 1, 2012, terrafugia announced that the production prototype would make its auto show debut at the 2012 new york international auto show in april, 2012 .
the funds raised on wefunder will go directly towards getting the transition to market. we expect this infusion will enable terrafugia to complete the design of our third prototype .
with a first flight already in the books, terrafugia plans to deliver transitions to customers within 12 months, with an anticipated starting price of $ 279, 000 .
to date, terrafugia has spent approximately $ 161, 000 in its efforts to comply with fmvss no. 208. terrafugia anticipated using the sales revenue generated during the exemption period to pursue the development of an advanced air bag system, ideally one that would be able to differentiate between the needs of an automotive crash and an aviation crash .
terrafugia indicated that the tires and rims it plans on using have appropriate load and speed ratings for the transition® and stated that it had already flight - tested this equipment. most of the public comments supported exempting terrafugia from the tire and rim requirements of fmvss no. 110. one commenter expressed concern about the safety of driving the transition® without the fmvss - required safety equipment, including tires and rims, but did not specifically comment on any consequences of terrafugia' s proposed use of motorcycle tires and rims .
terrafugia is excited to premier the new outer mold line for the tf - x™, terrafugia' s vision for the future of personal transportation. the tf - x™ will be a four - seat, vertical takeoff and landing (vtol) hybrid electric aircraft that makes flying easier and safer than ever before. visit urltoken for more information .
terrafugia is the sole registered automobile manufacturer in massachusetts. { citation needed (lead) | date = july 2011 } = = founding and financial history = = terrafugia was founded by graduates of the department of aeronautics and astronautics at the massachusetts institute of technology and graduates of the mit sloan school of management. their team and ...
but terrafugia is turning most of its attention to its next model: the tf - x. the tf - x will take off, fly, and land autonomously .
in may 2013, terrafugia said the development of the tf - x would take eight to 12 years. so far, it seems to be sticking to that timeline .
the work calls for terrafugia’s expertise in drive and flight integration, deployable flight surfaces and automotive crash safety for an aircraft. ceo carl dietrich says, “this darpa program effectively leverages terrafugia’s core competencies and enables us to grow from a pure ga [ general aviation ] company to an emerging aerospace company with both general aviation and defense development programs. ”
[ update, 2: 30 p. m. , march 18, 2009: we’ve just published an extensive followup interview with carl dietrich, terrafugia’s founder and ceo. ]
13. terrafugia stated that not being able to certify the transition® as an lsa would increase certification costs by up to $ 100 million and would force the company to dissolve .
and now terrafugia is in the process of finalizing a deal to be acquired by a chinese automaker, zhejiang geely holding group, which also owns brands like volvo and lotus .
terrafugia' s transition was recently granted an exemption by the faa, allowing it to be classified as a' light - sport' craft, according to the washington post .
terrafugia said its aim is to provide' true door - to - door transportation,' with the vehicle capable of being parked in a home garage like an ordinary car .
with a fresh infusion of cash and ongoing flight and road testing, the terrafugia transition roadable airplane / flying car is going through design refinement and is closer to federal certification .
the model will be tested at the mit wright brothers wind tunnel, the same tunnel that was used to test models of terrafugia' s transition. the wind tunnel test model will be used to measure drag, lift and thrust forces while simulating hovering flight, transitioning to forward flight and full forward flight ,
terrafugia said in a statement .
terrafugia had asked the faa for a waiver of weight and stall - speed limits so it can self - certify its transition flying car as a light sport aircraft (lsa) .
the exemptions clear the way for shipping to begin from terrafugia' s massachusetts plant following testing. the flying car is slated to enter production this year, with shipping in 2012 .
those rules have yet to be put in place. when they are, terrafugia will have a better idea on how to proceed with getting the tf - x on the market .
after reviewing terrafugia' s petition and the public comments, we believe that the company has made good faith efforts to comply with the standards from which it is seeking exemption. terrafugia is a new company, and the transition® is a unique, dual - purpose vehicle designed for both flying and driving. many of the impediments to compliance that terrafugia has encountered are a direct result of the dual nature of the transition®, including the need to meet the strict weight requirements of an lsa. despite these impediments, terrafugia has devoted significant resources towards compliance, has attempted to mitigate the risks associated with noncompliance, and has developed a plan for full compliance with three of the four listed fmvsss by the end of the requested three - year period .
12. terrafugia noted that there is a physical limitation as to how much weight can be removed from the vehicle, at any cost, before it is no longer capable of safely performing its function. the dollar values provided by terrafugia are applicable until that limit is reached, past which very little can be done at any price and the product is no longer viable .
massachusetts - based firm terrafugia created the transition, a road - legal airplane. the vehicle can seat two and is small enough to fit in a garage, and comes with collapsible wings
terrafugia says that the flight took place on march 5, and will hold a media briefing at 1430 uk time. meanwhile pictures of the flight are available on the company' s website .
terrafugia says it plans to follow on, circa 2021, with the tf - x, a tilt - wing rotor flying car with a plug - in hybrid powerplant (video above) .
the work calls for terrafugia' s expertise in drive and flight integration, deployable flight surfaces, and automotive crash safety for an aircraft. chief executive officer carl dietrich says ,
this darpa program effectively leverages terrafugia' s core competencies and enables us to grow from a pure ga company to an emerging aerospace company with both general aviation and defense development programs. our strong team of terrafugia engineers with recent experience designing and building a dual purpose vehicle will bring a unique perspective to the tx program that is highly valued by darpa and the other contractors on our tx team .
that question encapsulates the 11 - year saga of terrafugia, a woburn company founded by five graduates of the mit aeronautics program. terrafugia’s sleek white aircraft first flew in 2009, and the company has benefited from millions of dollars worth of free publicity around the world. despite that, the company hasn’t managed to deliver the first of its single - prop transition vehicles into a customer’s driveway .
terrafugia stated that, to date, it has spent $ 50, 290 towards finding a compliant rim and tire combination that would meet the speed, loading, and weight requirements for the transition® .
just how much the chinese automotive company paid for terrafugia has yet to be revealed, but experts say the move could be a step toward the ultimate travel solution for commuters, according to scmp .
i will definitely be a customer terrafugia! i had seen your concept when you first came out a while back and hadn’t heard anything since until i saw the rss feed for slashdot just now .
the first prototype was built and flown in 2009, followed by a second iteration in 2012. today, terrafugia is finalizing production vehicle design and compliance testing in preparation for the first vehicle deliveries .
additionally, terrafugia stated that the transition® is currently its only product line. accordingly, a denial would force the company to delay all production until compliance is achieved. terrafugia stated that a denial would delay customer delivery and initial revenue generation by at least two years and that this delay, coupled with the sharply decreased probability of the company reaching profitability, would make additional investment capital extremely difficult to secure. terrafugia calculated that the difference between a grant and a denial of its petition was $ 19. 4 million in revenue and indicated that a denial would likely put the company out of business .
“we are passionate about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry and are dedicating resources to lay the foundations for our vision of personal transportation, ” says terrafugia ceo / cto carl dietrich .
terrafugia, developer of the transition roadable aircraft, has been announced by aai corp. as the largest subcontractor to develop the transformer helicopter / humvee for the defense advanced research projects agency (darpa) .
a key participant in the darpa program is woburn, ma - based terrafugia. you might know it as the “flying car” company, though the firm much prefers the drier term “roadable aircraft. ” terrafugia was founded in 2006 by five mit - educated pilots, and has been developing a light sport plane, called the transition, that can be driven on roads and is slated for testing and production next year. the company declined to comment on its involvement in the darpa program beyond the information in its press release this week. but it’s clear that terrafugia’s expertise in combining flying and driving vehicles is valuable here .
terrafugia described in detail its efforts to comply with the listed fmvsss as well as its plans for compliance by the end of the proposed exemption period. in particular, terrafugia provided a plan to achieve full compliance with fmvss nos. 110, 205, and 208 within the three - year period. although terrafugia budgeted for fmvss no. 126 compliance research and indicated that it was working towards compliance with all fmvsss by the end of the requested exemption period, the company also stated that it was currently evaluating vendors to work with to develop an esc system and indicated that further research might lead the company to petition for rulemaking on this issue. accordingly, it appears that terrafugia does not know at this time whether the transition® will be able to comply with fmvss no. 126 by the end of the requested exemption period .
the first transition ® proof of concept vehicle was flown and driven in 2009. three years later, terrafugia designed, built, and flew a redesigned second iteration of the vehicle. that prototype has logged over 100 flight hours and over 200 successful takeoffs and landings, including a public demonstration at eaa’s airventure in oshkosh, wi in 2013. in 2016, the faa approved terrafugia’s request for a weight limit exemption for the transition ®, a crucial decision that will allow terrafugia to bring the vehicle to market as a light sport aircraft. the transition ® will enter production in three years with first delivery anticipated in 2019 .
one company, terrafugia, is working to get its flying car off the ground (see what i did there ?) by 2025. scroll down for a closer look at the company' s plan .
terrafugia stated that it had approached bosch engineering group about developing an esc system for the transition, ® but those discussions were terminated by bosch due to liability concerns about installing the system on an airplane. terrafugia indicated that it was in the process of evaluating other vendors. the company stated that it had also investigated the feasibility of developing an esc system in - house but had determined that such a program beyond its current capabilities. terrafugia indicated that an exemption would allow it to further investigate the issues associated with an esc system, which might result in a petition for rulemaking to reflect the aviation safety concerns of such a system .
regarding the decision to design a four - wheel, rather than three - wheel, vehicle, terrafugia stated in its petition and its response to the public comments that it was aware that using a three - wheel design would lessen its regulatory burden. however, due to the light weight of the vehicle and the exposed side area of the folded wings, the company chose a four - wheel design to increase stability and make the vehicle safer. given terrafugia' s rationale for its decision to use a four - wheel design, the agency does not believe that this decision reflects negatively on terrafugia' s efforts to comply with the fmvsss .
anna mracek dietrich, chief operating officer of terrafugia said the new york event was selected for the rollout of the transition because of the value the show brings in terms of exposure to future owners, investors and partners .
terrafugia management is actively involved in the creation and maintenance of the astm standards that are used by the faa for the regulation of light aircraft. in addition, terrafugia coo anna mracek dietrich participated in the aviation rulemaking committee (arc) which is advising the faa on the latest revision of the federal aviation regulations that pertain to aircraft less than 19, 000 lbs. our exposure to the fmvss has been quite useful to these bodies .
terrafugia has been working on flying cars since 2006, and has already pushed back the launch once. last summer the company said it would have to delay expected 2011 deliveries due to design challenges and problems with parts suppliers .
dietrich said terrafugia is aiming to develop a training program that could be learned over the course of a weekend. it could be taught at flight schools or other training centers, but those details have yet to be determined .
in accordance with 49 u. s. c. 30113 and the procedures in 49 cfr part 555, terrafugia has petitioned (dated july 20, 2010) the agency for a temporary exemption from certain fmvss requirements for the transition, ® a light sport aircraft (lsa) that has road - going capability. in addition to its original petition, terrafugia has submitted additional information regarding its compliance efforts, which has been posted to the public docket .
additionally, terrafugia expressed concern that an esc system would create a potential hazard while the transition® is in flight. however, the agency notes that fmvss no. 126 explicitly allows vehicles to be equipped with an “esc off” control that puts the esc system into a mode in which it will no longer meet the performance requirements described in the standard. terrafugia did not discuss this provision or explain why such a control would not be feasible for the transition® .
this darpa program effectively leverages terrafugia' s core competencies and enables us to grow from a pure ga company to an emerging aerospace company with both general aviation and defense development programs ,
said chief executive officer carl dietrich .
our strong team of terrafugia engineers with recent experience designing and building a dual purpose vehicle will bring a unique perspective to the tx program that is highly valued by darpa and the other contractors on our tx team .
terrafugia seeks an exemption from the general tire requirements (s4. 1) and rim requirements (s4. 4) of fmvss no. 110. terrafugia stated that compliance with these requirements would cause substantial economic hardship due to the cost of reducing the weight of the vehicle in order to offset the weight of the tires and rims required by the standard, which have significantly higher speed and load ratings than that needed for the transition®. as part of its efforts to comply with the standard, terrafugia evaluated several passenger car tire and rim combinations. the company also investigated the development of a lighter custom rim and tire combination that would meet the requirements of fmvss no. 110 .
terrafugia included a schedule of its future compliance efforts during the proposed exemption period and stated that it was working toward full compliance by the end of that period. however, terrafugia noted that the success of its plan was dependent on the availability of sufficient investment capital and the willingness of third parties to work with it. the company reiterated that it was also considering petitioning nhtsa and faa for rulemakings to address the unique dual - purpose nature of the transition® .
terrafugia still has the process of light - sport certification before it, and road - legal clearance from the national highways and transportation safety administration. however the transition has already undergone extensive ground tests, and company execs seem confident .
it’s called the tf - x: terrafugia (which is latin for “escape the earth”) and is being created in woburn, massachusetts by a team of award - winning mit - trained aerospace engineers. check out it’s range .
terrafugia has designed and built the first prototype of the transition, ® which it described as a “roadable aircraft. ” terrafugia characterized the transition® as an lsa, as defined by the federal aviation administration (faa), and stated that the vehicle' s road - going capability will provide a significant increase in operational functionality and safety for the general aviation [ 6 ] pilot community by allowing pilots to safely continue their travel plans in the event of inclement weather .
what’s next for transition? dietrich: delivery of first vehicle will be in 2011. the manufacturing process is expected to create hundreds of jobs. “with this accomplishment terrafugia is poised to usher in a new era of general aviation. ”
the company also determined that, in the event of a bird strike, fmvss - compliant safety glass would either shatter or craze to a degree that would substantially inhibit the pilot' s view. accordingly, terrafugia investigated the possibility of using an fmvss - compliant polycarbonate windshield. according to the petition, the polycarbonate material passed intrusion tests without cracking, but terrafugia was still pursuing options for a scratch - resistant coating that could meet the abrasion tests. the company stated that one vendor informed them that its coating would likely pass the abrasion tests but that such tests had not yet been performed. terrafugia indicated that it is engaged in discussions with several vendors and is planning future compliance testing of coated polycarbonate materials. in the meantime, terrafugia stated that the transition® would be equipped with polycarbonate glazing, and each vehicle would be required to undergo regular, frequent inspections, at which time windshields with degraded visibility would be identified and replaced .
mann said terrafugia was helped by the federal aviation administration' s decision five years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft. the standards govern the size and speed of the plane and licensing requirements for pilots, which are less restrictive than requirements for pilots of larger planes. terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the transition, a relatively low hurdle for pilots .
at this point, flying cars are still very much in the realm of science fiction. companies like terrafugia have expressed interest in this new method of consumer transportation, and while terrafugia is probably closer than anyone else, a massive wall of regulatory red tape stands in the way of turning drivers into pilots. i' m a pretty experienced driver, but if someone told me to
squawk 1200 ,
i wouldn' t know what the heck to do .
the job description is clear: under new ownership, get one or both of terrafugia’s products out of the hangar and into the sky. the question that remains: will this pioneering company grow in massachusetts or be shipped to china ?
terrafugia, a boston - area company that has been working on flying cars since 2006, is being acquired by zhejiang geely holding group, an automotive manufacturer based in hangzhou, china. terms of the deal have not been disclosed .
terrafugia could be in the same boat. what it has created is an admirable execution of the flying car concept, but flying cars simply are still too costly and impractical for the dream to become more than a novelty anytime soon .
terrafugia noted that the transition® is currently its only product line. accordingly, a denial would force the company to delay all production until compliance is achieved. the company stated that a denial would delay customer delivery and initial revenue generation by at least two years and that this delay, coupled with the sharply decreased probability of the company reaching profitability, would make additional investment capital extremely difficult to secure. terrafugia calculated that the revenue difference between a grant and a denial of the exemption would be $ 19. 4 million and would double the price point of the transition®. accordingly, terrafugia opined that a denial would likely force the company to abandon lsa certification and the development of the transition®. [ 13 ]
we wish them well, but there' s a long way to go. for its part, the faa has released a statement that reads, in part :
the manufacturer has not yet applied for an faa airworthiness certificate, so the faa has not yet determined what level of pilot certificate and training would be required to operate the terrafugia transition as an aircraft .
that' s a hurdle terrafugia will need to clear before it can make its first delivery .
terrafugia stated that a grant of the requested exemption would allow the company to continue with lsa certification for the transition® while pursuing lightweight compliance solutions and researching additional ways of reducing the weight of non - safety - critical systems for the aircraft .
terrafugia anticipated that the transition® will only be operated on public roadways in conjunction with a flight. the company stated that it expects that the typical recreational owner will operate the vehicle as an aircraft for at least 65 percent of its engine - on - time and will drive the vehicle on the road less than 2, 000 miles annually. terrafugia contended that the combination of low sales volume and limited use on roadways limits the transition' s® overall impact on motor vehicle safety .
10. terrafugia explained that this is based on the experience of removing weight between the proof of concept vehicle to the prototype and the fact that as more and more weight must be removed, it becomes increasingly more difficult to do so .
terrafugia’s transition ® is the only flying car in the world to have received all of the special legal considerations necessary to enter the u. s. market. driving the transition ® will require a standard u. s. driver’s license, and flying the transition ® will require a sport pilot certificate, which can be earned in as few as 20 hours of flight training. eventually, with the incorporation of autonomous flight technologies, terrafugia hopes to further reduce flight training time .
the company behind the first faa approved
roadable aircraft
– the terrafugia transition – has been selected to contribute to darpa' s transformer (tx) project, a program that aims to bring flying car technology to the battlefield. terrafugia will subcontract to one of two winning teams under phase one of the program which focuses on creating a conceptual design for a four person cross between a humvee and a helicopter for use in insurgency, reconnaissance, medical evacuation and logistical supply .
terrafugia' s flying car, on display at the new york international auto show this week, is an impressive execution of the flying car concept. but there are plenty of good reasons why we won' t soon have roadable planes .
as soon as terrafugia begins to sell the transition, i will purchase one. i am holding out for the next model. i imagine that they have another one in the works currently. i still have time to wait, i still need to receive my private pilots certificate. so, until i get that i won’t be purchasing anything yet. i sure am very happy for terrafugia’s success. best of luck to them, and thank you for this great creation! : )
we have also considered motor vehicle safety issues related to the exemption requested by terrafugia. we believe that, in general, the requested exemption will have a limited impact on motor vehicle safety because of the low number of vehicles expected to be produced and because each vehicle is likely to travel on public roads only infrequently. terrafugia predicted producing 200 vehicles during the exemption period and estimated that, on average, each vehicle would spend less than 2, 000 miles on the road annually .
according to terrafugia' s petition, one of the most significant causes of general aviation accidents and fatalities is weather, and a leading cause of weather - related accidents is when pilots using visual references, rather than flight instruments, for primary orientation and navigation (visual flight rules or vfr) fly into weather conditions with insufficient visibility to provide a safe visual reference (instrument meteorological conditions or imc). in such situations, pilots can get disoriented and enter an unrecoverable situation that results in an often fatal accident. according to terrafugia, the transition® offers a new alternative to pilots by allowing them to divert to the nearest airport and continue the trip on the ground. although the trip may take longer, terrafugia stated that the transition® is expected to eliminate the possibility of an indeterminately long delay caused by either retracing the flight route to clearer weather or diverting and waiting for the weather to pass. accordingly, terrafugia expects that the transition® will help reduce these types of crashes, while also making general aviation more appealing and accessible to a greater number of people. additionally, because the transition® is equipped with basic fmvss occupant crash protection features, terrafugia argued that it is advancing passenger safety technology in light aircraft .
terrafugia has raised ~ $ 10 million from sophisticated accredited investors. the majority of that capital has been spent on the development of the transition. the rest is still being deployed today to get the transition through the rest of the testing program .
according to the petition, terrafugia is a small, privately held company that was incorporated in the state of delaware in 2006 and maintains headquarters in woburn, massachusetts. terrafugia states that the company employs ten full - time employees. the company identified itself as a massachusetts institute of technology (mit) spin - off company, but stated that it does not have access to mit' s financial resources. the company also stated that it is not affiliated with any other aircraft or automobile manufacturer .
as of 2013, woburn, ma - based terrafugia had raised a little over $ 10 million in financing from angel investors and $ 1. 25 million in u. s. defense contracts. the company has raised more money since then, but the amount wasn’t disclosed; new york - based transcendent holdings and beijing - based haiyin capital are also investors in the company. (dietrich and terrafugia participated in a boston - area event organized by haiyin capital in the fall of 2015. )
this breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility ,
terrafugia ceo carl dietrich told avweb .
travel now becomes a hassle - free integrated land - air experience. it' s what aviation enthusiasts have been striving for since 1918 .
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terrafugia’s ‘street - legal airplane, ’ transition, was approved last year by the federal aviation administration (faa) to be certified as a light sport aircraft, paving the way for the development of hybrid vehicles weighing up to 1, 800 pounds .
the tx program represents an opportunity for terrafugia to rededicate members of its engineering team as its primary business, the transition light sport aircraft program, moves forward on schedule from detailed design to fabrication, testing and production in the second half of 2011 .
the agency acknowledges that terrafugia' s petition indicated that a three - year exemption was required to comply with the fmvsss and that the company may not be able to achieve full compliance with the requirements of fmvss no. 126 and the advanced air bag requirements of fmvss no. 208 within the one - year exemption period granted by this notice. however, as stated above, this exemption will allow terrafugia to begin production and continue its efforts toward full compliance with these standards. additionally, we note that part 555 allows a manufacturer to apply for renewal of a temporary exemption, and we emphasize that our decision to grant a more limited exemption than that requested does not foreclose terrafugia from applying for such an extension at the end of the exemption period .
to date, terrafugia has not produced any vehicles for sale, but intends to begin delivery of the transition® in late - 2012 [ 7 ] and anticipates producing 200 vehicles during the three - year requested exemption period. terrafugia stated that it expects to remain a low - volume manufacturer for the foreseeable future, continuing to market the transition® as an aircraft with road - going capability, not as a “flying car. ” thus, the primary market for the transition® will be u. s. pilots .
while there are other companies out there experimenting with the futuristic hybrid vehicle, terrafugia is arguably the first to make a truly convincing prototype. offering a far more sleek and polished vehicle than any of its competitors, terrafugia' s transition boasted a cruising range of 400 miles and a top speed of 100 mph. as well as being fitted with a full - vehicle parachute to bring the car back onto roads, the transition also uses advanced autonomous flight tech in order to stop its pilots from crashing .
geely, parent company of volvo cars, has agreed to purchase the flying - car startup terrafugia, the south china morning post reports. while the purchase amount was not disclosed, scmp reports that this deal has been in the works since last year .
despite ieee spectrum’s gloomy forecast for flying cars in 2007 as “a flimsy car and a feeble airplane” and again this year, the flying car might still happen. terrafugia is further along than any of the dozens of prototypes cobbled together in the past century .
the tx program represents an opportunity for terrafugia to rededicate members of its engineering team while its primary business, the transition light sport aircraft program, moves forward on schedule from detailed design to fabrication, testing and into production during the second half of 2011 .
terrafugia' s prototype flying car, dubbed the transition, travels down a street with its wings folded. the vehicle can be driven like a car, and flew at 1, 400 feet for eight minutes during its test flight on march 23, 2012 .
getting a light plane - car hybrid off the ground seems to be an arduous process. the tf - x - - from flying - car company terrafugia - - was announced more than two years ago but will be in development for some years to come .
in ten years, terrafugia should have at least two product lines - - an evolved transition that is even easier to operate, and at least one product that has evolved out of the tf - x program which will allow a much larger segment of the population to experience the freedom of a practical flying car. i expect we will be a publicly traded company selling thousands of vehicles per year. the open development environment of tf - x will have maintained the public’s trust and terrafugia’s leadership position in a rapidly maturing flying car industry even with the entry of new much larger companies. we will be inspiring millions of people around the world to embrace a new dimension of personal freedom. flash forward another 10 years and the industry terrafugia inspired will have a measurable effect on the global gdp .
one issue is that terrafugia has been building a product for a shrinking market here in the united states. while 827, 000 people held a pilot’s license in 1980, that number had dropped to 584, 000 by 2016, according to the federal aviation administration .
the transition by terrafugia is a roadable aircraft, an airplane that can take off and land from any airport, and with the push of a button fold up its wings and drive down the road. for more information about this innovative product, please go to urltoken
in addition, us - based terrafugia said monday, the new design for the tf - x will be tested as a one - tenth scale model in a wind tunnel. the model is currently on display at the eaa airventure aviation convention in oshkosh, wisconsin .
the transition® uses an faa - certified, four cylinder, 100 horsepower, unleaded gasoline - fueled aircraft engine to power the vehicle both in the air and on the ground. terrafugia contended that the use of unleaded gasoline will provide “significant ecological and energy benefits, ” as compared to the leaded gasoline used in other general aviation aircraft. terrafugia also opined that one day a future version of the transition® might play a role in reducing highway congestion and co 2 emissions by enabling more people to shift from highway - based travel to a combination of flight and road use for mid - range trips. terrafugia stated that the transition® will cruise in the air at approximately 105 miles per hour and maintain highway speeds on the ground, while attaining between 25 and 40 miles per gallon in flight and on the road .
terrafugia also discussed the probability of children riding in the transition®. the company acknowledged that children may occasionally be driven or flown in the transition®, but that it was not expected to be a common occurrence. the company noted that most of the customers who could afford the transition® are beyond the age at which they would have young children and, as trained pilots, would understand the associated risks. terrafugia further stated that the benefit garnered by occasionally giving children the opportunity to ride in the transition® offsets the occasional, well - considered risk.
terrafugia ( / ˌtɛrəˈfuːdʒiə / ) is a chinese-owned corporation , based in woburn , massachusetts , united states that is developing a roadable aircraft called the transition and a flying car called the tf-x . the transition and tf-x are designed to be able to fold their wings , enabling the vehicles to also operate as street-legal road vehicles . first delivery of the transition is expected in 2019 . 
terrafugia (/ ˌtɛrəˈfuːdʒiə /) is a chinese-owned corporation, based in woburn, massachusetts, united states that is developing a roadable aircraft called the transition and a flying car called the tf-x. the transition and tf-x are designed to be able to fold their wings, enabling the vehicles to also operate as street-legal road vehicles. first delivery of the transition is expected in 2019.
terrafugia (/ ˌtɛrəˈfuːdʒiə /) is a chinese-owned corporation, based in woburn, massachusetts, united states that is developing a roadable aircraft called the transition and a flying car called the tf-x. the transition and tf-x are designed to be able to fold their wings, enabling the vehicles to also operate as street-legal road vehicles. first delivery of the transition is expected in 2019.