If they ever make a sequel (highly improbable) to the 2000 stoner movie staring Ashton Kutcher, this could be the title if the efforts of a Massachusetts company are successful. Terrafugia, a company started by graduate engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), hope to develop and produce what they prefer to call a "roadable aircraft", known as the Transition. Ever since man was first stuck in a traffic jam, he has dreamed of pushing a button and watch his car magically morph into a flying vehicle, able to carry him high above the other poor schlubs below, quickly to his destination. And, almost as long as we've had this fantasy, we've had individuals or companies promising that their flying car design can make that dream a reality. However, Terrafugia, in my opinion, has the best chance of actually delivering on their promises of a viable "roadable aircraft".  First of all, this company is not aiming for a vertical takeoff and landing capability (VTOL) for the Transition.  Instead they are designing it primarily as an aircraft first, which just happens to have the capability of folding its wings to allow it to be driven on the road. (see animation below) This is unlike many previous VTOL flying car concepts that never quite got off the ground. Unfortunately, a VTOL design typically requires large amounts of power (=more fuel, less range), is very complicated (=heavy, less useful payload), and requires sophisticated stability augmentation systems during the hover and transition-to-horizontal flight phases. (All reasons why even the military, with very deep pockets, has had only a few successful VTOL designs, such as the AV-8B and V-22, in their inventories.) The other main reason I like their chances is that the folks doing this are engineers educated at one of the best aerospace engineering universities in the country, MIT. It gives me a little more confidence that these guys are doing their calculations correctly, unlike the genius trying to build a Jetsons flying car in his garage and which end's up being one of the most popular videos on YouTube after a spectacular crash.

Of course as with any new aircraft design, I think there are still some unanswered questions about the Transition. In my opinion, it's not the "aircraft" part of the equation that will be the real challenge, but instead the "roadable" part. It remains to be seen if the key design feature, the wing-folding mechanism, can be designed to not only be simple to operate, but also safe and reliable. The company will have to prove to the feds that in the earth-bound mode the Transition can meet the myriad government safety and emissions standards required of automobiles these days.  Also, can the aerodynamic surfaces be made from a material that is unaffected by the inevitable nicks and dings that result from driving on roads? Finally, some people have also questioned the susceptibility of the light- weight Transition to wind gusts when driving with the wings folded alongside the fuselage.  Personally, I don't think it will be any worse than a compact car towing a flat-sided trailer. In spite of these obstacles, I give the Terra Fuega a greater than 95% chance of successfully flying, from an engineering perspective.  (According to Terrafugia, we may see a prototype fly by the end of this year, so it won't be too long to see if my prediction is correct). Now successfully getting it into production as a "roadable aircraft", and having people pay the $140K+ price tag, those are questions that only time and the marketplace can answer.