Asks Aviation Community To Show Support For Its Request

Terrafugia has petitioned the FAA to grant waivers to allow its Transition roadable aircraft to exceed weight limits and stall speed requirements for an LSA.

The petition asks the FAA to allow the Transition to have a gross takeoff weight of 1,800 pounds, and a correspondingly higher stall speed of 54 knots.  This will allow the Transition to incorporate the crashworthiness and other safety features that create the unique safety and value of the Transition while maintaining the spirit of an innovative, easy-to-fly light-sport aircraft (LSA).
 
The formal petition has now been published in the Federal Register and is open for public comment. The full docket folder is available for review here. 

All comments must be submitted by January 20, 2015.
 
In its petition, Terrafugia is asking for the Transition to be treated like a normal light-sport aircraft from a regulatory perspective.  The Transition meets the spirit of the simple, easy-to-fly aircraft that is at the heart of LSA, as well as the ASTM industry standards that define the design requirements for LSA airplanes.  We're also designing features intended to meet a number of automotive regulations, including Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which are above and beyond what would ordinarily be required of an LSA.

The Transition provides a number of key "public good" benefits, including the incorporation of modern automotive-style crashworthiness features, i.e., a safety cage, crumple zone, airbags, the potential to reduce aircraft accidents caused by flying into inclement weather (i.e. VFR into IMC), the economic benefit of skilled U.S. manufacturing jobs, and the potential to inspire growth through innovation in the aviation industry.

While the weight and stall speed requested are outside the current definition of LSA, the Transition still belongs in the LSA category.  It is easy to fly, maintains a comfortable stall margin and benign stall characteristics, and embodies the original intent of LSA as a means to encourage innovation and growth in the aviation industry.

The need for the requested additional weight is driven by the incorporation of safety features into the Transition.  These include: energy absorbing crush structures, a "safety cage" chassis design that preserves a survivable volume for the occupants in the event of a collision, and occupant protection devices, such as airbags, knee bolsters, head impact protection, and load-limiting seat belts.  Beyond these discrete features that are atypical for aircraft designs, the basic structural requirements of road crash scenarios are far more demanding than those of flight loading, even at the limits of the flight envelope.  The enhanced structure and the additional components all add weight to the aircraft, which in turn drives the need for a higher stall speed, as wing span is limited by the maximum dimensions allowed for road use.

The company says this key piece of regulation is important for the successful development of the Transition program, "and it is with great appreciation that we ask for your support."

(Images provided by Terrafugia)

FMI: www.terrafugia.com