Danish industrial designers KiBiSi have collaborated on the redesign of a two-seater aircraft that converts into a vehicle that can be driven on normal roads.
The Transition Roadable Aircraft was launched this week by American aviation company Terrafugia.
KiBiSi was formed last year by designer Lars Holme Larsen of Kilo Design, architect Bjarke Ingels of BIG and brand consultant Jens Martin Skibsted of Skibsted Ideation. See our story about the launch of KiBiSi. See all our stories about transport design.
Transition Roadable Aircraft features wings that fold away, allowing the plane to be driven like a small truck.
Here's some info from KiBiSi:
The Terrafugia single engine two-seater aircraft packs a light "transformer" truck. The 2nd gen Terrafugia Transition is the result of a transatlantic collaboration between industrial designers, including KiBiSi, mechanical engineers, aerodynamic engineers and a dedicated Terrafugia nerd squad with an unequaled childhood dream of flying cars.
The FAA approved vehicle merges the worlds and requirements of cars, trucks and planes, combining cutting edge aerodynamics, mechanics and manufacturing skills.
The overall design approach and thought mode has been holistic - making an unfamiliar object appear as a wholesome whole. Step by step it has been built on one new coherent DNA set, aligning very different sets of requirements and, to one another, outlandish elements and characteristics from each their transportation paradigm.
Terrifugia!
Jeremy Clarkson will love this :)
Jeremy Clarkson doesn't like gullwings ;-)
Hinged wings just don't seem safe.
The FAA approved it but will the DoT.
Water, water, water… flood. Nothing new and toy only.
But is it a boat?
Mind the blind spot.
Hopeless. And it’s really not very beautiful either. The wings are probably too small to lift the vehicle into air. The driver must have an airpilot certificate. And the rear view mirrors will just show the folded wings …
A very similar design was produced in the 70s
@SeaLion agreed about aesthetics but this is certainly a function aircraft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHXnLCIgNug
Folding wings have been around for decades. The flying car is a fantastic breakthrough. If you fly you know only too well that you get to an airstrip and have to hang about for transport. Problem solved by Terrafugia.If you drive a car there are 31,000,000 others clogging the road, speed restrictions and tail backs.You can fly 100 miles in 50 minutes and drive 15 miles in an hour. No traffic lights, hills or bends up there.
Until you have one you will never realise how much fun you'll have and how much travel time you'll save. Big problem is the likelihood of some moron damaging the beast when left unattended, with possibly fatal consequences.
I agree with the above comment. Navy aircraft have been using folding wings safely since the 1930s, on planes up to and including high performance jet fighters and helicopters. Also, the aircraft does fly… they've already done 28 test flights.