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Terrafugia Flying Car Production Version Photos

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With the official release date of the Terrafugia's Transition Roadable Aircraft set for 2011, the manufacturers are trying to put a more eye friendly face on the car/plane which is supposed to make it famous. The first renderings showing a more... beautiful Roadable Aircraft were made public yesterday by the manufacturer.

The Transition features folding wings, which give it enough room to travel by land and the necessary lift to travel through the air. It is powered by a Rotax 912S engine, capable of giving the machine a range of 400 nautical miles (460 miles) at a top cruising speed of 100 kts (115 mph).

It takes the vehicle 30 seconds to transition from car to plane and can soar 400 miles through the air on a single tank of gas, while cruising at 115 mph.

The vehicle has front wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight but no matter the mode, it uses unleaded gasoline from a regular gas station.

In late June, the vehicle was cleared for flight by the Federal Aviation Administration. The clearance comes in the form of an exemption which refers to the Transition's weight.

Being both a car and a plane, the Transition needs to comply with two different sets of regulations, those which apply to cars and those which apply to aircrafts. According to Terrafugia, the increased weight is due to the addition of elements you would usually find in a car, but not in a plane.

And if you're still thinking the Transition is just a dream, think again. As said, deliveries will begin next year, with prices expected to start from $194,000.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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