For those of you that may not have been to our website recently, now’s a great time to check back.  A Picture of the Week has been added, and you can view the full set of posts for 2008 at: www.terrafugia.com/weeklypic.html. Enjoy!

This newsletter is sent out periodically to share updates on our progress towards delivery of the Transition® Light Sport Roadable Aircraft and general company news.

If you have any questions about Terrafugia or the Transition®, please feel free to send us an email at info@terrafugia.com. And please don’t hesitate to forward this Newsletter to a fellow aviation enthusiast!  (If you’re receiving this as a forward, you can sign up for yourself at: www.terrafugia.com/newsletter.html)

If you’re interested in reserving your airframe number today, visit www.terrafugia.com/deposit.html or contact us at sales@terrafugia.com.  For additional customer convenience, we can now accept MasterCard and Visa for the full deposit amount.

Thank you for your continued interest,
- The Terrafugia Team

Despite some disappointing weather, the Expo in Sebring was a great event for Terrafugia and the rest of the LSA community.  Photos and a copy of the video that AvWeb Flash shot of the Transition® Proof-of-Concept folding wing are available on our online event report (www.terrafugia.com/events.html#Sebring2008). Thanks to everyone that came by and gave us valuable feedback on the engineering cockpit mockup.  Many of the comments and suggestions we received have made it into the detailed controls and cockpit design that will be incorporated into the Proof of Concept vehicle. Overall, the Expo highlighted the great progress that is being made by the Light Sport industry in general as well as by Terrafugia’s prototype development team in particular. 

Transition® Proof of Concept Development Update

Two of the four main carbon fiber composite components of the Proof of Concept have been completed and have come out of the molds. For both components, their final weights beat mass budget targets. One of these, the left-hand half of the fuselage, includes the full passenger safety cage and crumple zone built directly into the skin of the vehicle; the carbon fiber box beams used are stronger by weight than traditional automotive steel safety structures. The other two main composite components of the Transition’s body are currently under construction.

While much of the visible progress has been focused on the Transition’s structure, detailed design work is progressing on schedule for the mechanical components of the vehicle.  A collection of design reviews with Terrafugia’s assembled panel of industry experts is currently taking place to wrap up several design phases and release components to fabrication.

The photo here is of the first fuselage part being lifted out of the mold after high temperature curing. The photo in the introductory section is of CEO/CTO Carl Dietrich lifting the empennage pan in a demonstration of the light-weight nature of the parts.

Summer Internship Positions Available

The Terrafugia Team is in the process of identifying exceptional candidates for our summer internship program.  While intern positions are unpaid, previous years’ interns have been able to make substantial contributions to the development of the Transition® Proof of Concept vehicle and get valuable experience in a unique aviation start-up environment.  If you are or know a college-age engineering student that would be interested in applying, resumes can be sent to jobs@terrafugia.com.  Please include a cover letter highlighting your hands-on skills and reasons for wanting to be a part of Terrafugia for the summer.  Currently, we are only looking for full-time summer internship positions in the Boston area.  Please no part-time or non-internship applications at this time.  This is a great opportunity to build your experience and resume!  Applications due by April 15, 2008.

The image shown here is of two Terrafugia interns working with members of the engineering team on the Proof-of-Concept wing construction.

Currently, due to an ever heightened focus on the Proof of Concept development, Terrafugia is not scheduling events for this Spring.  However, we will be returning as exhibitors to Oshkosh July 28 – August 3, 2008.  Stay tuned for more information about Terrafugia’s plans for the show, and we hope to see you there!