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Your pricing data are wrong. Terrafugia Transition, new: $279,000 Cessna 172 Skyhawk, new: $289,500 The Transition only seats two while the 172 seats four, b

by nether 13y ago

Your pricing data are wrong. Terrafugia Transition, new: $279,000 Cessna 172 Skyhawk, new: $289,500 The Transition only seats two while the 172 seats four, but I'd personally rather have the plane that also drives. http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft/transitionR‎ http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft/transitionR‎ http://www.cessna.com/single-engine/skyhawk http://www.cessna.com/single-engine/skyhawk

bathat 13y ago
And there are tons of used 172's in excellent condition for a third that price. Or, you could compare the Terrafugia to a two-seat LSA. That would be a fairer comparison, since the Transition is an LSA while the 172 is a real certified airplane. Pipistrel and Icon both sell LSAs for about half the price of a Transition. http://www.pipistrel-usa.com/ http://www.pipistrel-usa.com/ http://www.iconaircraft.com/ http://www.iconaircraft.com/
mikeash 13y ago
And why, exactly, do you think a brand-new 172 is the reasonable thing to compare against? There's no reason to only examine new aircraft, but even if you insist on that, you can do vastly better. For example, a Pipistrel Sinus will set you back about $86,000: http://www.aviationbull.com/sinus http://www.aviationbull.com/sinus Compared to the Terrafugia, you can buy that, plus two $30,000 cars, and still have $133,000 left over to rent more cars. Or, say, buy a house. The Sinus also carries more weight, flies faster, burns less fuel, has a better range, and requires vastly less runway. It's also probably substantially safer in the event of an engine failure. I don't see a glide ratio listed for the Transition, but just from looking at its relatively large frontal area, low-aspect-ratio wings, and gigantic road-sized front wheels exposed to the air with naked struts, I'd guess it's probably in the Cessna range of 10 or under. The Sinus has a glide ratio of 27, meaning you can get quite far to an airport if the engine quits. It's actually a decently performing glider in addition to a regular airplane. If you expand the search to used aircraft, you can get quite cheap. For example, Cessna 152s in decent shape can be had for under $40,000, and that's not even the cheapest option.

by nether 13y ago

bathat 13y ago

And there are tons of used 172's in excellent condition for a third that price. Or, you could compare the Terrafugia to a two-seat LSA. That would be a fairer comparison, since the Transition is an LSA while the 172 is a real certified airplane. Pipistrel and Icon both sell LSAs for about half the price of a Transition. http://www.pipistrel-usa.com/ http://www.pipistrel-usa.com/ http://www.iconaircraft.com/ http://www.iconaircraft.com/

mikeash 13y ago

And why, exactly, do you think a brand-new 172 is the reasonable thing to compare against? There's no reason to only examine new aircraft, but even if you insist on that, you can do vastly better. For example, a Pipistrel Sinus will set you back about $86,000: http://www.aviationbull.com/sinus http://www.aviationbull.com/sinus Compared to the Terrafugia, you can buy that, plus two $30,000 cars, and still have $133,000 left over to rent more cars. Or, say, buy a house. The Sinus also carries more weight, flies faster, burns less fuel, has a better range, and requires vastly less runway. It's also probably substantially safer in the event of an engine failure. I don't see a glide ratio listed for the Transition, but just from looking at its relatively large frontal area, low-aspect-ratio wings, and gigantic road-sized front wheels exposed to the air with naked struts, I'd guess it's probably in the Cessna range of 10 or under. The Sinus has a glide ratio of 27, meaning you can get quite far to an airport if the engine quits. It's actually a decently performing glider in addition to a regular airplane. If you expand the search to used aircraft, you can get quite cheap. For example, Cessna 152s in decent shape can be had for under $40,000, and that's not even the cheapest option.