The Conservative Cave

The Bar => The Lounge => Topic started by: bijou on July 15, 2011, 12:11:22 PM

Title: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: bijou on July 15, 2011, 12:11:22 PM: Quote
St. Petersburg, FL - The federal government says a flying car called the Transition is street legal. The company that makes the vehicle, Terrafugia, expects the Transition to hit the road or air late next year.

Priced at roughly $250,000, Terrafugia says they have already pre-sold 100 of the vehicles. ...
I can't imagine anything could go wrong with this. (http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/200892/250/Flying-Cars-ruled-street-legal)
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: marv on July 15, 2011, 12:42:09 PM: Hitting the road is one thing - just another drunk driver. But hitting the side of a building is another..........
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: Chris_ on July 15, 2011, 12:52:27 PM: [youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq2GWRG8s0s[/youtube]

I think I'll stay on the ground.
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: Evil_Conservative on July 15, 2011, 01:00:01 PM: Back to the Future.

Yay!
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: thelaughingman on July 15, 2011, 01:58:59 PM: Quote from: Evil_Conservative on July 15, 2011, 01:00:01 PM
Back to the Future.

Yay!

Great scott!
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: FreeBorn on July 15, 2011, 05:32:10 PM: Not very informative. They didn't say what the cargo capacity was. How is anyone supposed to know how many bales of marijuana can be crammed in there or how many Mexicans can be ferried over the border in one trip? Sheesh.
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: DefiantSix on July 15, 2011, 06:08:09 PM: Quote from: FreeBorn on July 15, 2011, 05:32:10 PM
Not very informative. They didn't say what the cargo capacity was. How is anyone supposed to know how many bales of marijuana can be crammed in there or how many Mexicans can be ferried over the border in one trip? Sheesh.

Quote
Terrafugia Transition (http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft.html)

Max, Vh: 100 kts (115 mph, 185 km/h)
Cruise, Vc: 93 kts (105 mph, 172 km/h)
Stall, Vs: 45 kts (51 mph, 83 km/h)
Range: 425 nmi (490 mi, 787 km)
Takeoff: 1700' (518 m) over 50' obstacle

Gross Takeoff Weight: 1430 lbs (650 kg)
Empty Weight: 970 lbs (440 kg)
Useful Load: 460 lbs (210 kg)

Fuel burn at cruise: 5 gph (18.9 L/h)
Useable Fuel: 23 gal (87L)
Mileage on road: 35 mpg (14.9 km/L)

Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)

LSA rules means that it's restricted to two (2) seats total, and the performance numbers you see are as good as they're going to get. 460lbs total useful load isn't much when you take the pilot's weight out of that, either. 5gph of fuel burn means that it's getting about 18.6mpg, assuming still air - any headwind is going to drive that through the floor in a hurry.

In other words it seats as many as my Ford Ranger does, doesn't haul as much, gets about the same range between fill ups, but burns more gas getting there, and as it's running the Rotax 912 engine, it'll burn only 101 octane LEADED fuel - which is running about $5.80 a gallon as a national average (EPA ought to love that).
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: Rebel on July 18, 2011, 01:33:43 PM: Quote from: DefiantSix on July 15, 2011, 06:08:09 PM

In other words it seats as many as my Ford Ranger does, doesn't haul as much, gets about the same range between fill ups, but burns more gas getting there, and as it's running the Rotax 912 engine, it'll burn only 101 octane LEADED fuel - which is running about $5.80 a gallon as a national average (EPA ought to love that).

....but it's a flying car.
Title: Re: Flying Cars ruled street legal
Post by: DefiantSix on July 18, 2011, 01:37:14 PM: Quote from: Rebel on July 18, 2011, 01:33:43 PM
....but it's a flying car.

Naw. It's a Tard-Car with wings.

(http://bunnynewsnetwork.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/vp-car.jpg)