'Flying car' meets US air-ground safety rules, says manufacturer

Washington

LET'S be honest: it's 2014, and the motor vehicle industry has utterly disappointed a generation of science-fiction lovers and futurists. Where are our flying cars? Stepping into the void is Terrafugia, which bills itself as a "the flying car company".

It has announced an upcoming model called the "Transition", which sports foldable wings that let the vehicle transform from car to plane in about 20 seconds with the flip of a switch. Talk about a convertible.

It's not quite a flying Jetsons-esque car. The Terrafugia Transition is, more accurately, a plane you can drive rather than a car you can fly. That means you won't be able to hover…