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Terrafugia TF-2A (demonstrator)

Terrifugia TF-2A demonstrator in flight.

 

TF-2A (demonstrator)
Terrafugia
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
www.terrafugia.com

Five MIT (USA) graduates founded Terrafugia in 2006 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA to design and manufacture hybrid-electric and all-electric vertical takeoff and landing VTOL roadable passenger aircraft. On November 13, 2017, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (China) purchased Terrafugia. The first models used petroleum engines for the power source and later the company began to design a hybrid-electric power source. The company has stated when battery density is much greater, their aircraft can be transitioned to have a 100% battery power source making the aircraft an electric VTOL (eVTOL) roadable aircraft. Terrafugia reported they had over 100 employees in 2020. In February 2021, the company laid off the majority of its employees and planned to close its US operations and re-establish their headquarters in China.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group also owns: Geely Auto (gasoline automobile manufacturer), Geometry (100% electric automobile manufacturer), Link & Co. (gasoline automobile manufacturer with a heavy focus on digital connectivity inside the vehicle including internet and cloud services), Proton (gasoline automobile manufacturer), Lotus, Volvo, Polestar (100% electric high-performance car manufacturer), Cao Cao (ride hailing service), London EV Company (which was the London Taxi Company with the iconic black taxis and are now hybrid-electric), Yang Cheng Auto (producing clean commercial vehicles such as buses, semi-trucks, etc., either powered by 100% electric or by methanol) and Mitime private education, sports and tourism.

Terrafugia TF-2A is a subscale prototype with a cruise speed of 62 mph (100 km/h), a takeoff weight of 132 lbs (60 kg), a wingspan of 14.8 ft (4.5 meters) and skid type landing gear. Flight testing begun on December 26, 2019 with the sub-scale prototype and will use the flight data to validate the flight worthiness of the aircraft and to refine the final shape of the aircraft. The aircraft's shape was based on the tiger shark. 

The full scale production model, the Terrafugia TF-2A, will initially require a pilot to fly the aircraft, the company is planning for a future autonomous piloting system for the aircraft, for urban air mobility (UAM). The company is currently hiring. For more information on Terrafugia's other aircraft, please see the Terrafugia TF-XTerrafugia TF-2Terrafugia TF-2 Tiltrotor, and TF-2.0 Lift + Push aircraft pages.

Specifications:

  • Aircraft: Sub-scale eVTOL demonstrator
  • Piloting: Remotely flown 
  • Capacity: 0 
  • Cruising speed: 62 mph (100 km/h)
  • Takeoff weight: 132 lbs (60 kg)
  • Wing span: 14.8 ft (4.5 meters)
  • Landing gear: Skid type landing gear
  • Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft. The aircraft also has wings and could possibly land using wings with its skid landing gear. 

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