Transition (roadable aircraft)
Encyclopedia
The Terrafugia Transition is a light sport, roadable aircraft under development by Terrafugia
since 2006.
The Rotax 912S piston engine powered, carbon-fiber vehicle is planned to have a flight range of 425 nmi (489.1 mi; 787.1 km) using automotive grade unleaded gasoline and a cruising flight speed of 107 mph (87.9 kn; 172.2 km/h). It does not include an autopilot.
On the highway, it can drive up to 65 miles per hour (29.1 m/s) to keep up with traffic. The Transition Proof of Concept's folded dimensions of 6 in 6 in (1.98 m) high, 7 in 6 in (2.29 m) wide and 19 in 6 in (5.94 m) long are designed to fit within a standard household garage. When operated as a car, the engine powers the rear wheel drive. In flight, the engine drives a pusher propeller
. The Transition has folding wings, pusher propeller and twin tail.
in upstate New York
using U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) tail number N302TF. First customer delivery, as of March 2009, was planned for 2011. The design of the production version was made public at AirVenture Oshkosh on 26 July, 2010 and in June, 2011 a change of the estimated delivery date to "late 2012" was announced.
On July 1, 2010 it was announced that the Terrafugia Transition had been granted an exemption from the FAA concerning its Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW). The Transition can be certified with a take-off weight up to 1430 lbs, matching light-sport amphibious aircraft, and still be classified as light-sport
. Light-sport craft operating only from land are usually limited at 1320 lbs MTOW. The extra 110 lbs allows for the mandatory road safety features such as airbags and bumpers.
On November 16, 2010 the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) published Terrafugia's July 20, 2010 petition for a temporary, three-year hardship exemption from four FMVSS standards in the Transition. The requests are:
The NHTSA granted all of the requested exemptions on June 29, 2011, but limited the stability control and airbag exemptions to one year instead of three as originally requested.
Terrafugia
Terrafugia is a small, privately held American corporation that is developing a roadable aircraft dubbed the Transition. Their General Aviation , Light-Sport Aircraft is designed to fold its wings, enabling the vehicle to also operate as a street-legal road vehicle, and is scheduled for...
since 2006.
The Rotax 912S piston engine powered, carbon-fiber vehicle is planned to have a flight range of 425 nmi (489.1 mi; 787.1 km) using automotive grade unleaded gasoline and a cruising flight speed of 107 mph (87.9 kn; 172.2 km/h). It does not include an autopilot.
On the highway, it can drive up to 65 miles per hour (29.1 m/s) to keep up with traffic. The Transition Proof of Concept's folded dimensions of 6 in 6 in (1.98 m) high, 7 in 6 in (2.29 m) wide and 19 in 6 in (5.94 m) long are designed to fit within a standard household garage. When operated as a car, the engine powers the rear wheel drive. In flight, the engine drives a pusher propeller
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
. The Transition has folding wings, pusher propeller and twin tail.
Milestones
The experimental Transition Proof of Concept's first flight was successful and took place under FAA supervision at Plattsburgh International AirportPlattsburgh International Airport
-Top Destinations:-References:Other sources:*. Press-Republican, 2005-07-13.*. Press-Republican, 2007-05-30.*. Press-Republican, 2007-12-19.* The Montreal Gazette, 2008-07-05.-External links:*, official site at New York State DOT website...
in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
using U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) tail number N302TF. First customer delivery, as of March 2009, was planned for 2011. The design of the production version was made public at AirVenture Oshkosh on 26 July, 2010 and in June, 2011 a change of the estimated delivery date to "late 2012" was announced.
On July 1, 2010 it was announced that the Terrafugia Transition had been granted an exemption from the FAA concerning its Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW). The Transition can be certified with a take-off weight up to 1430 lbs, matching light-sport amphibious aircraft, and still be classified as light-sport
Light-sport Aircraft
A Light-sport aircraft, also known as light sport aircraft or LSA, is a small aircraft that is simple to fly and which meets certain regulations set by a National aviation authority restricting weight and performance...
. Light-sport craft operating only from land are usually limited at 1320 lbs MTOW. The extra 110 lbs allows for the mandatory road safety features such as airbags and bumpers.
On November 16, 2010 the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
(NHTSA) published Terrafugia's July 20, 2010 petition for a temporary, three-year hardship exemption from four FMVSS standards in the Transition. The requests are:
- To use lighter weight but equally safe motorcycle tires instead of RV tires. (FMVSS No. 110, S4.1 and S4.4)
- To not include an electronic stability control system because of its weight and potential to become a single point of failure that might unintentionally throttle back the engine in flight. (FMVSS No. 126)
- To use lighter and stronger, but less scratch resistant, polycarbonate for the windshield and side windows in place of glass to more safely withstand bird strikes. (FMVSS No. 205, S5)
- To use basic airbags instead of advanced, dual stage airbags because of a lack of financial resources to develop an advanced air bag system. (FMVSS No. 208, S14 except S14.5.1(a))
The NHTSA granted all of the requested exemptions on June 29, 2011, but limited the stability control and airbag exemptions to one year instead of three as originally requested.
Specifications
- Dynon Avionics EMS-D120 Engine Monitoring System
External links
- Terrafugia Transition - First Flight Video Press Release on March 18th, 2009 in Plattsburgh, NY. - (YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
) - Anna Mracek Dietrich: A plane you can fly - presentation at TEDGlobal, July 2011