The Transition in the air... (Image by Terrafugia.)

Rebecca Boyle of Popsci has a post about the Transition, a plane-car hybrid that has been approved by the FAA for sale in 2012. It won’t be cheap, but it’s not as expensive as I might have imagined. An excerpt:

“Late next year, you’ll be able to buy your own flying car — er, ‘roadable aircraft’ — thanks to a thumbs-up from the Federal Aviation Administration. As long as you have $194,000 and a sport pilot license.

The agency approved the Transition plane-car this week, giving it a Light Sport Aircraft rating. The test prototype has been flying for about a year, but plane-maker Terrafugia will unveil its production-class plane next month at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual convention in Oshkosh, Wisc.

The Transition drives like a car, uses normal high-octane gasoline, has front-wheel-drive and even comes with airbags. Its fuel economy is about 30 miles per gallon. But unlike your Prius, it can unfold its wings and fly. You’ll only need a one-third of a mile strip for a runway, meaning you could conceivably use your own street. It is powered by a rear propeller and flies about 115 miles per hour.

The ideal customer is a sport pilot who gets tired of flying to regional regional airports only to have to wait for a cab, rent a car or use public transportation. Now he or she can just fold up the wings and motor on to the next errand.”

...and on the ground. (Image by Terrafugia.)