Hello again from Terrafugia.  We’re excited to be able to report on some of the work that has been ongoing since we exhibited at Oshkosh this past July.  For those of you who are new to the mailing list since our last update on July 19, 2006, you can view previous letters at www.terrafugia.com/news.

This newsletter is sent out periodically to keep you updated on our progress toward delivering the Transition personal air vehicle (PAV), with both technical and non-technical news and events.

If you have any questions about Terrafugia or the Transition, please feel free to send us an email at info@terrafugia.com.

If you are ready to discuss placing a deposit for the Transition, contact us at sales@terrafugia.com.

Lastly, we’re hiring!  If you have a strong technical background, a high level of hands-on enthusiasm, and are willing to come to Boston to work hard on this exciting venture, we’d love to see your resume.  Please send it and a cover letter telling us why you would be a good fit with our passionate team to: jobs@terrafugia.com.

-The Terrafugia Team

Report from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006

Terrafugia received a phenomenal response at our first exhibit at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI this past July.  Rough estimates indicate that we spoke with over 5,000 aviation enthusiasts over the course of the week long show – many of which commented that the Transition is the most promising roadable concept to date.  To all of you that came and saw us – thank you for your thoughts and encouragements.  For those of you that missed us, you’ll be able to see us there next year, but don’t feel like you have to wait until then to join the group of pilots that reserved their Transition airframe number at the show.

With a banner on the outside of the tent declaring: “It’s not a flying car.  It’s a roadable aircraft.” our exhibit featured the computer animations that are now available for viewing on our website (http://www.terrafugia.com/landing.html), our 1/5^th scale wind tunnel model, and the beginning of the prototype folding wing that we are planning on showing in completeness next summer.  Some of our more distinguished guests included Burt Rutan and Marion Blakey, but our biggest satisfaction was getting to talk to all of the pilots and enthusiasts that share our enthusiasm for making the Transition a reality in the very near future.  Thank you!

You can read more about our experience at Oshkosh online here: http://www.terrafugia.com/pr_08062006.html.

Other Fall 2006 Events

While successfully completing the trip to and from Oshkosh may have been the centerpiece of the summer, it certainly didn’t mean we could slow down this Fall.  Terrafugia participated in the local appearance of the EAA Sport Pilot Tour, an event that showcases available Light Sport Aircraft and provides a chance to sign up for a Student Sport Pilot license, which was hosted by the local EAA 106 chapter at Lawrence Municipal Airport.  It was another excellent opportunity to talk to pilots and enthusiasts.  It was also wonderful to see the excitement and growth that is being made possible by the Light Sport regulations.

More recently, Anna Mracek, Terrafugia’s Chief Operating Officer, was the keynote speaker at the FAA Airports Division, New England Region, Annual Airport Conference in Burlington, MA.  Speaking to an audience of approximately 200 airport managers and other involved heavily with airport usage and logistics, Anna had the opportunity to present Terrafugia’s vision for increased General Aviation and personal freedom through the Transition and receive valuable feedback from the airport community on the interaction of the Transition with the existing infrastructure.  If you are an airport manager and would like to join this discussion, please contact us through info@terrafugia.com with “Airport Usage” in the subject line.

The design of the wing folding mechanism is progressing on-target towards DDR (Detailed Design Review) early next year.  Safety and simplicity continue to the paramount to the design while we prepare to leverage the best analytical tools to trim unnecessary weight from the design.

The aileron control mechanism design is also now well underway.  A solution to the problem of folding the control mechanism has been identified and the design is moving towards its own PDR (Preliminary Design Review), though a date has not yet been set for that review.

Continuing with the philosophy of tackling the most complex challenges early, a preliminary design for the front wheel drive power transfer system has also been isolated this fall.  Several members of the Terrafugia design team will be traveling to the Lockwood Aviation facilities in Florida this winter to learn more about the Rotax 912S and to leverage Lockwood’s expertise to reach the best possible design for this key component of the power train.

Terrafugia, Inc. and the Transition have been the subject of numerous print appearances since our last update.  Perhaps most noticeably, Pilot Journal, Science, and EAA Sport Pilot all carried stories in the past few months.  Look for us in another major aviation publication next month!