Flying Cars Succeed In Test Flights

Flying cars are all the rage these days. Earlier in the week came word of a Dutch flying car, the PAL-V. Now, an American car-plane is making headlines for completing a successful test flight just days after its European competitor. Woburn, Mass.-based Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its prototype flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle - dubbed the Transition - has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. Last month, it flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes. Commercial jets fly at 35,000 feet. Around 100 people have already put down a $10,000 deposit to get a Transition when they go on sale, and those numbers will likely rise after Terrafugia introduces the Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don't expect it to show up in too many driveways. It's expected to cost $279,000. And it won't help if you're stuck in traffic. The car needs a runway.