Flying Car's Phase 1 Test Flight Is a Success -- But What's Up Next?

Progress continues to be made on the flying cars The Blaze told you about only a few months ago.

The Terrafugia Transition recently announced its completion of Phase 1 test flights at the Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, New York. According to the Woburn, Mass., company's announcement, the success of these tests checked off power on and power off handling, aircraft stability, engine cooling evaluation, and propeller setting optimization in various flight conditions.

“It’s a real airplane; we’re flying it whenever we want, for as long as we want,” Terrafugia CEO/CTO Carl Dietrich said in a statement.

Watch the highlights of Phase 1 testing:

The street-legal plane has five more flight tests planned, and its next phase of testing will evaluate ground drivetrain, suspension tuning, braking performance, and road handling.

“We have great momentum going in our testing program,” said Terrafugia COO Anna Mracek Dietrich in a statement. “Our top priority this summer is flight and drive-testing, in anticipation of certifying compliance with the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards.

Only in March did Terrafugia announce Transition's first flight at 1,400 feet for eight minutes. The proof of concept for the car was completed in 2009. As of April, about 100 people had already put down deposits for the $279,000 (base price) plane.

According to the company's website, first delivery of the vehicle is still scheduled for late 2012.

(H/T: Wired)