i escape

The Terrafugia Transition is a plane that thinks it’s a car. Or vice versa. Interesting factoids for you. They’re estimating a final price of $148,000, first production late 2009, cruise speed 115mph, range 460 miles, gas consumption 23 mpg, reverse gear, two seats and ethanol capable. So a Porsche it ain’t, but think of the glee as you fly over the I-95 donkeys on a damp Monday morning.

How will the Transition handle on the ground and in the air? A: The Transition will drive like a car on the ground and be controlled like a normal small airplane in the air. On the road, the Transition should handle well – it will be light weight, tightly controlled, and slightly overpowered. Due to its light weight and large side surface area, the Transition will be more sensitive to side gusts on the road. However, the Transition is aerodynamically stable on the ground as well as in the air, so a strong gust might cause minimal fish-tailing, but the vehicle will self-correct. Also, the center of gravity is low and well inside the wide wheel base of the vehicle, giving the Transition good stability on the ground.

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