The dream of driving flying cars could have come a step closer as a two-seater flying vehicle called the Terrafugia Transition is cleared for road use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US.
The step means that the vehicle could also be approved for use in Europe and the UK by European Aviation Safety Agency, after it passed safety tests in the States.
Designed to be similar to a conventional car, the Terrafugia is capable of 35mpg on the road and a top speed of 65mph. In the air, the two-seater can fly at 115mph and consumes five gallons of gasoline per hour. Its wings which fold up when not in use, expand to 28 feet and six inches.
Massachusetts-based firm Terrafugia, founded in 2006 by MIT-trained aeronautical engineers and MBAs, have been trialling the car since 2008. At the end of June, the Transition gained vital NHTSA approval, keeping the firm on track to achieve its goal of delivering Transition models to the first customer by the end of 2012.
According to The Telegraph, there is already interest in the model from British consumers who would have to pay around £150,000. To fly the vehicle, owners would need both a driving licence and pilots licence. Reservations are already being taken, costing $10,000 to place an pre-order.
Terrafugia is Latin for "escape from land" reflecting the desire for cars which could escape from the congested roads and soar above the traffic.
