The Future Is Here: Buy A Flying Car

Some dream of having a flying car, soaring through the air. Boy, if you’ve got $194,000, a sport pilot license, and some patience, that car can now be yours. The Transition plane-car from manufacturer Terrafugia has been approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Look for the future-affirming vehicle by late 2011.

The Transition’s features read like a wish list come true. See after the break.

• Uses normal gasoline so you can roll up to any station and fill ‘er up. The plane-car gets 30 miles to the gallon
• Drives like a normal car but its wings unfold when you’re ready to take to the wild blue yonder
• Needs 1/3 mi (536 m) runway to take off. This means you could take off from your own street
• Top speed as a plane is 115 mi/h (185 km/h)

That's right the flying car uses normal-octane gas

There are some downsides. Due to its size it can only carry 460 pounds, including fuel and the passengers. Really, this vehicle is for a sports pilot who flies to regional airports and doesn’t want to rent a car.

The plane had been delayed because the vehicle weighed too much for a Light Sport Aircraft designation. But the FAA gave it an exemption because the vehicle had an airbag system and a safety cage.

[via Popular Science]