Brake-O-Rama excited about Flying Car

An aerospace company’s ”Flying Car” prototype has been cleared for take-off on US roads.

Massachusetts-based Terrafugia has been granted a number of special exemptions by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help move the flying/driving hybrid vehicle a step closer to reality.

The NHTSA has approved the Transition’s tyres for highway speeds, rubber that must cope with stresses of take-offs and landings but normally disallowed for multi-purpose vehicles.

Terrafugia has also been permitted to use lighter, shatterproof clear plastic for the cockpit surround instead of the traditional laminated glass used by conventional cars and SUVs. It helps reduce mass and make the plane-cum-car safer for the driver/pilot in the event of a bird strike.

“These exemptions pave the way for Terrafugia to begin deliveries once Terrafugia’s rigorous certification testing program is complete,” said the company in a press release.

Flying Car on You Tube

The Transition, which is effectively a light aircraft that is capable of driving on the road once its wings are folded upwards, already features car-like crumple zones and driver/passenger airbags, as well as a carbonfibre passenger safety cell.

Terrafugia had been aiming to bring the Transition to market by the end of the year, but US media reports say some design and third-party-supplier issues mean the vehicle is unlikely to go on sale until 2012.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed for the Transition, but speculation says it will be about $200,000.

In part of its summary for granting the exemptions, the NTHSA said it wanted to help make the Transition a viable business case.

“The basis for the exemption is that compliance with these requirements would cause substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard.”

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It's the latest Zalman Silber attraction in Australia

It's the latest Zalman Silber attraction in Australia. Projecting three metres out of the building at a height of three hundred metres above ground, it's a rectangular structure where all sides are transparent - including the floor - for a wonderfully disorienting experience at first that's as exhilarating as it is unique - the world's only Edge experience!

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From the mind of serial success Zalman Silber comes the latest in 21st Century family fun that is unusual but wholesome, a glass enclosure suspended high above the ground - with you in it! It's at the Melbourne Skydeck 88 on top of the city's Eureka Tower. It's so popular that bookings are not available - everyone purchases tickets on the day of the actual visit itself. (Groups of fifteen or more and those with special needs should make arrangements beforehand, however.) Easily accessible by children and those who are wheelchair-bound, The Edge is not for anyone who is claustrophobic or has an unusual fear of heights. That said, visiting The Edege is subject to weater conditions such as wind speed. Different kinds of tickets are available for purchase, from single-visit passes to annual packages for unlimited entries and more! Gift vouchers may also be purchased, alongside souvenir pictures taken of your visit by a professional photographer.
Guests are shepherded into an opaque box cantilevered ninety degrees from the Skydeck observation level. The observation deck provides stunning three hundred and sixty-degree views of Melbourne, the highest public vantage point in all Australia. But within The Edge, the initially frosted glass will then suddenly turn clear, creating the impression of being suddenly suspended in mid air!
It's an experience like no other, and it's at the Eureka Tower, a 300-metre (984 ft) skyscraper located in Melbourne's Southbank precinct. Construction began in August 2002 and the building was officially opened on 11 October 2006. Designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, the name "Eureka" pays homage to a pivotal point in Australian history, the miners' rebellion that heralded the birth of democracy and the country's transition from a penal colony to a modern self-governing state. Of course, the word "Eureka" itself - meaning "I've found it!" - was reportedly shouted by the famous ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes upon his discovery of certain facts concerning the displacement of solids in liquids.
It's an appropriate word for the name of the site where one of the most thrilling experiences anywhere is to be found - the feeling of sudden clarity is exactly what is created in a most visceral way by The Edge!