What is this? A flying drone? Eight flying drones? One flying helicopter? A moving room? A truck? It’s a little bit of everything. Called the AT Black Knight Transformer, it combines the vertical takeoff and landing of a helicopter with the off-road driving capabilities of a truck. So yes, that means it can fly and drive. Oh and it’s a drone.
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There is a first time for everything, even for a flying car. In fact, this road legal ride known as the Terrafugia Transition has finally took to the skies in public for the first time, making a milestone in its journey to arrive in garages (or should it be, a hangar instead?). It is said that the Terrafugia Transition took off and experienced a smooth flight, circling around the airfield for the public audience. Of course, getting up into the air is one thing, but how about landing? The low-speed landing happened without much drama at all, where all four wheels on the flying car touched the ground simultaneously. After landing, the pilot (or driver by then, since he is on the ground) parked for a minute before wowing the audience with its motorized self-folding wings.
The motorized self-folding wings are a crucial feature that should not fail at all, otherwise you would end up in a tight spot as you cannot drive on the streets. Bear in mind that the Terrafugia Transition that was shown off in the video happened to be the second of three generations of prototypes, so there is still some time left for Terrafugia to iron out whatever kinks that there are within. With an estimated price point of $279,000 when it rolls out in 2015 at best, it is definitely not cheap, but the Journal Sentinel claims that more than 100 people have already placed a reservation for the ride.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Terrafugia Transition Achieves First Public Flight original content from Ubergizmo. 
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An elementary school in the Philadelphia suburb of Warminster recently opened up a time capsule from 1968. Unfortunately for time capsule purists, this uncapsuling was a bit premature. You see, the McDonald Elementary School’s time capsule wasn’t supposed to be opened until the year 2068.
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If you have been dreaming about flying around in your own Star Trek style shuttlecraft, that day is almost upon us. Terrafugia has unveiled a concept for a flying car that lot like a shuttlecraft that has the Enterprise’s warp nacelles. However, those nacelles have propellers.
This flying car is called the TF-X and is a hybrid gas-electric flying car. Twin 600 horsepower electric propeller pods and a 300 horsepower engine handle the transition from vertical takeoff to a maximum cruising speed of 200 miles per hour. It has a 500 mile range.
It is capable of both driving and landing itself. Terrafugia says that “you always have the final say if its safe to land.” Well, that’s encouraging.
The TF-X is fully capable of handling the entire landing process without you. But if it is about to kill you, it’s nice to know that you get the final say. It’s definitely an interesting design and we would love to see it in the skies.
[via Like Cool]
I don’t know about you, but I sure as heck do have my reservations when it comes to flying cars. I mean, on a 2D plane like the road alone, we have seen our fair share of horrific accidents, or who knows, might have even been lucky enough to escape from one. Throw flying cars into the equation, and you have one big, chaotic situation, unless these flying cars have been pre-programmed and cannot be flown/driven by a human. It still amazes me how citizens of the galaxy in Star Wars are able to fly in such linear lines without breaking the law. Aren’t people tempted to do that in the future? Having said that, how about employing robot chauffeurs to get the job done instead?
According to Missy Cummings, an MIT professor and former Navy pilot, robotic drivers could be the solution to making flying cars the primary mode of transport in the future. She said, “I learned that aircraft can land themselves better on aircraft carriers than I could.It was a little humiliating. About 50 years ago there was this fantasy that everyone would have a flying car. That dream is closer to reality than we think, we just need to give up the flying part. We’re all bad drivers so we would be even worse pilots. We could have an airplane in every driveway, as long as someone else was doing the flying — i.e., automation. Once we get to where everyone has a robotic car, we’ll all be a lot safer.”
My sentiments exactly!
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Astrobotic Technology Contract with NASA Aims to Improve Lunar Prospecting, Nevada approves self-driving cars on public roadways, 
For anyone raised on the retro-futurist notion of flying cars, this literal-minded, nuts-and-bolts incarnation should make for some incredulous swooning. Looking much like a 1950’s interpretation of a subcompact that wandered into the wrong alleyway and wound up in a Wright Brothers-sponsored chopshop, the Taylor AEROCAR — one of five made — is a very real vestige of American auto engineering’s past and, more importantly, it’s up for grabs. At $1.25 million, this relic of a bygone era’s mainly an exorbitant lure for the deep-pocketed collector, but as a rare curiosity, it’s free for all to gawk. It’s a hybrid in the truest sense, melding a cozy two-seater with front wheel drive, a Lycoming O-320 4-cylinder engine and a wingspan of 30 feet, all conspiring to get it off the ground at 55mph and up to a cruising speed of 100mph. Should you want to merely take it for a test spin out on the open road and not accidentally take flight, rest assured, those mighty wings can be folded out of the way with relative ease. But that’s not why you’d want to part ways with a cool chunk of cash, if you’re so inclined. This bit of memorabilia’s a make-good for all those broken, scifi promises from once upon a TV time. This was the future — as ridiculous as it may seem.
Filed under: Transportation
For sale by owner: 1954 flying Taylor AEROCAR, yours now for only $1.25 million (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Flying cars are years away from becoming a reality, but it turns one was built back in the 50s. The 1954 Taylor Aerocar N-101D was way ahead of its time and only five were made ever. Greg Herrick, the proud owner of one of these flying cars, is selling his for $1.25 million.
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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: PAL-V is yet another flying car, Terrafugia’s Transition flying car prototype completes first flight,
Well, when I was a kid, this is not how I pictured flying cars in the year 2012, but it’s what we’ve got until the Transition is released. This is the 1954 Taylor Aerocar N-101D. It’s just one of only five that were made by the mid-century company. If you like what you see and think that this is a good way to commute, you can buy it for just $1.25 million.
Minneapolis resident and airplane collector Greg Herrick is the seller. The flying car is certified in the FAA’s Standard Airworthiness Category and when used as a street automobile, the wings fold back and can be towed behind the car. It takes about 10 minutes to get it ready to fly again.
Be aware, you can’t get parts for something like this and you have to have both plane and auto insurance which is expensive. Still, it’s totally worth it – if you’re a multimillionaire.
[via Geekosystem]
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