Flying car maker Terrafugia, premiered the Outer Mold Line for the TF-X™, four-seat, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) hybrid electric...
Flying car maker Terrafugia, premiered the Outer Mold Line for the TF-X™, four-seat, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) hybrid electric aircraft concept at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States.
The aircraft will succeed the company's present transition fly car and will feature fly by wire technology for highly autonomous control system with manual override.
Terrafugia also unveiled a one-tenth scale wind tunnel test model of the TF-X™, developed based on the new OML. The model will be tested at the MIT Wright Brothers wind tunnel, the same tunnel that was used to test models of Terrafugia’s Transition.
The wind tunnel test model will be used to measure drag, lift and thrust forces while simulating hovering flight, transitioning to forward flight and full forward flight.
TF-X's vertical take off and landing (VTOL) ability is provided by two electric powered propellers that can rotate 90 degree. During the cruising phase, ducted fan takes over from the wing tip mounted propellers. The wings and propeller folds into the body during the drive mode.
Power source for the 300 hp ducted fan is yet to be finalized, which could be a piston or turbine (APU) engine. Batteries to power the one megawatt rated electric motors is a big challenge to be solved.
Power source for the 300 hp ducted fan is yet to be finalized, which could be a piston or turbine (APU) engine. Batteries to power the one megawatt rated electric motors is a big challenge to be solved.
The aircraft will have a backup full-vehicle parachute system which can be activated by the operator in an emergency.
It will be capable of manual or automatic VTOL in approved sites. Terrafugia claims an average driver could start flying TF-X with just five hour training.
Terrafugia is still working to certify its Transition, earlier slated for 2015, which is now slipped to 2017.
