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La première voiture volante

                                                            Image: Maxisciences.com

Reportage de Maxisciences:

États-Unis – Il sera peut-être bientôt possible, dans les embouteillages, de convertir sa voiture en avion et de retrouver une circulation plus fluide… dans les airs. Terrafugia, une entreprise du Massachusetts, a mis au point la première voiture volante homologuée que l’on pourrait croiser dans les rues (ou dans les airs) dès fin 2011.
Le véhicule est équipé d’un moteur de 100 chevaux, qui lui donne la capacité de se déplacer aussi bien dans les airs que sur la terre ferme. Les ailes se replient grâce à un bouton situé dans le cockpit, rendant l’avion capable de se déplacer sur route avec les autres voitures ou d’être rangé dans un garage. Le passage du mode voiture au mode avion nécessite seulement une trentaine de secondes.
Le Transition a réussi son premier vol d’essai le 5 mars 2009. Celui-ci a duré 37 secondes. Quarante personnes seraient déjà intéressées et auraient commandé le véhicule, qui leur sera livré fin 2011 pour la modique somme de 129.000 livres, soit environ 160.000 euros.

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