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Dreamers and aviation geeks have been fascinated by the idea of a flying car ever since humans first got off the ground with powered flight. There are obvious advantages to the concept: the “go anywhere, anytime” freedom of an automobile without any of the traffic congestion that terrestrial drivers face on a daily basis. (Photos)

 

 

Featured in movies like Back to the Future and Blade Runner, this mode of transportation has been restricted to the realm of science-fiction due to the complexity of the drivetrain required and the training that would be needed to operate such a vehicle.

Now, a company called Terrafugia has put forward their vision for a practical flying car. Using electric-gasoline hybrid technology from the cutting edge of the automobile industry and autopilot technology adopted from the aviation industry, the company thinks they have what’s needed to bring a flying car to the mass market.

The concept started as the Terrafugia Transition, a plane that can be driven on the road.

Unfortunately, the Transition had to take off and land from an airport, so Terrafugia began working on a second generation concept.

Which came to be known as the Terrafugia TF-X, an electric-hybrid flying car with a range of 500 miles.

It’ll have room to fit four comfortably.

It’ll fit in a standard single-car garage.

On the ground it relies on an electric drivetrain, so you won’t always be filling it up with gas.

You can also charge the batteries by plugging it in at home.

The arms have electric motors to get you into the air.

The arms assist the main engine in getting up to speed.

Once you’re in the air, the gasoline engine charges the batteries for driving.

The Terrafugia will land itself, no input needed.

If you run low on fuel in the middle of a flight, it’ll automatically find a safe spot to land. The driver has final say on whether a spot is safe for landing.

Via Business Insider