The Transition Car-Plane: Not a Delorean, But It Flies

Move over hybrids -- the Transition is here. Half car, half plane, this "roadable aircraft" is 19 feet long and 6 feet 9 inches high, with an expandable wingspan of 27 feet. It runs on regular unleaded gas for both on-ground and in-air travel, cruising at highway speeds on land and upwards of 115 miles per hour in the air. The two-seater car-slash-plane had its maiden voyage March 5 at the Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, with a retired US Air Force Reserve colonel in the pilot's seat. Video after the jump.

The Federal Aviation Administration is categorizing the vehicle as a light sport aircraft, and presumably you’d have to have both your pilot’s license as well as your driver’s license to operate one of these guys. With the first “road” test behind them, the Transition will now go through a few rigorous years of prototyping, building, testing, and certifying, with 2011 as the projected roll-out date. Having your own plane to drive you to work won’t be cheap though; the estimated sticker price is $200,000. Which would still be cheaper than lifetime first class airplane tickets.