Flying car takes off successfully

Washington, March 19: An American company has successfully tested its 'flying car', which took flight and landed at an upstate New York air strip recently.

According to a report in Boston Herald, the 'roadable aircraft' was made by Terrafugia Inc., which is based in Woburn.

"This breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility. It's what aviation enthusiasts have been striving for since 1918," said Carl Dietrich, CEO of Terrafugia Inc.

Media members were not present to witness the test flight, the culmination of six months of testing.

But, Dietrich will show a video of the flight and display the Transition aircraft at the Museum of Science.

Terrafugia claims that the vehicle can fly up to 400 miles on a single tank of gas at a cruising speed of 115 mph, and can also drive highway speeds on the road.

The vehicle has front-wheel drive, a propeller and, with the wings folded up, fits into a standard household garage. The engine takes unleaded gasoline, the kind that's pumped at any service station.

Some have called the design a cross between a Volkswagen Beetle and the Mini Cooper.

The two-seat vehicle is designed to take off and land at airports and drive on any road. The transition from airplane to car takes the pilot less than 30 seconds.

According to Frank Berardino, president of GRA Inc., a Penn.-based aviation consulting firm, "There's always been a dream for a vehicle like this."

ANI