Terrafugia's Flying Car Prototype Makes First Flight

Terrafugia announced today that its production prototype flying car, the Transition, has successfully completed its first test flight. The company has been promising to deliver the a mass-market street-legal vehicle capable both on the road and in the air since they flew an earlier proof-of-concept version back in 2009.

The Transition is a two-seater vehicle with folding wings that can be driven on highways and flown in the air, all on unleaded gasoline. The vehicle was fueled at a regular gas station, driven to an airport, and flown to an altitude of 1,400 feet during its test flight, staying in the air for around eight minutes.

Six more phases of flight testing are scheduled for the Transition before it goes into production. Terrafugia is already accepting $10,000 deposits for the vehicle, which the company plans to sell for $279,000. The Transition will be on display at this week's New York International Auto Show.

[via The Register]