美国陆空两用飞行汽车获准上路Flying car finally gets its driving license
The flying car named Transition of Terrafugia has at last been declared officially road legal in US. So the car could be in US garages as early as next autumn, after two years of delays. It may not be the world's first flying car, but it is the first to have wings that fold up automatically at the push of a button. Drivers can convert it from a two-seater road car to a plane in less than 30 seconds with the touch of a button. It costs $200,000 - about the same price as a Ferrari - and can be reserved online for $10,000 deposit. The polycarbonate windscreens can withstand the impact of birds, so they won't fracture. The administration has also granted Terrafugia permission to use heavier-grade tyres, which are not normally allowed on multi-purpose vehicles. Its creators, which include former Nasa engineers, say the vehicle is easy to keep and run because it can fit into a normal domestic garage and uses regular gas. It has a top speed of 65mph on the road, but that soars to 115mph in the air. It doesn't have a gearstick, but on the road can be controlled with brake and accelerator pedals and a steering wheel like an ordinary car. In the air it is operated with a joystick near the steering wheel. 据英国《每日邮报》10日报道，特拉弗吉亚公司的飞行汽车Transition（“飞越”）终于在美国获得了合法上路的批准。这款汽车最早可在明年秋季正式上市销售，这比原计划的面市时间晚了两年。 尽管“飞越”并不是世界上第一辆能够飞行的车子，但它却是第一款只需轻轻触动按钮便能自动将机翼折叠起来的产品。
驾驶员只需触碰按钮，便可使这款装有两个座位的汽车在30秒内变形成一架飞机。 该飞车造价20万美元，相当于一辆法拉利轿车的价钱，现在已经可以在网上预订，不过需要交纳1万美元的定金。 飞车的挡风玻璃是由聚碳酸酯制成，足以抵抗鸟类的袭击，并且不会断裂。 政府部门还授权特拉弗吉亚公司使用重型轮胎，通常多用途汽车不允许使用这种轮胎。
飞车研制者之一，美国航天局前工程师表示，该飞车的驾驶和保养都非常容易，能够停进普通的家庭车库，使用的也是普通汽油。 它在陆地上的最高时速可达65英里，但在空中就可达到115英里。 这款可飞行汽车并没有加速杆，在陆地上驾驶时可以通过刹车和油门踏板进行控制。它像普通汽车一样设有方向盘，方向盘附近的操纵杆供飞行时所用。 |
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