According to several reports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given a regulatory break, for craft classification by weight, to the Terrafugia or the first “flying car” - a small airplane which can be driven on roads. As such, a full-fledged production prototype of the vehicle is probably just around the corner!

The regulatory hurdle that the Terrafugia – manufactured by the a Mass.-based company of the same name – was facing was that the makers wanted the Transition vehicle to be categorized as “Light Sport Aircraft” by the FAA; so that people keen on flying the airplane would require only 20 hours of flying time.

Noting that Terrafugia had secured a notable weight exemption from the FAA, a Register report elaborated that the company managed to convince the FAA to permit its small plane to be a wee bit heavier than the normal little plane - 110 pounds heavier.

With Terrafugia already having completed its maiden voyage in upstate New York last March, its maker has revealed that, in 30 seconds, the vehicle gets converted from a road-able vehicle – which can achieve up to 65 mph highway speed - to a winged aircraft.

In addition, the Terrafugia, which will likely be priced at almost $200,000, can cruise at nearly 115 mph and cover almost 400 miles of turf before requiring a refill of regular unleaded gas. The vehicle will probably be will be ready for delivery next year.