SolidWorks Used for Terrafugia Car/Aircraft

The Terrafugia Transition shortly after takeoff

Terrafugia used SolidWorks 3D CAD software to model the Transition and make the precise calculations needed to meet both aircraft and road vehicle safety and performance standards. As a double-duty vehicle, the Transition has to be light enough to get off the ground, yet sturdy enough to pass government regulations for crash safety. That meant reducing the amount of material wherever possible, which Terrafugia did by using SolidWorks Simulation to closely calculate the amount of material that could be reduced from key assemblies without compromising performance. Transition recently completed its first test flight at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York. To watch a video of the flight, please click here.

The Transition has front wheel drive on the road

The Transition uses high-octane unleaded auto gas

Key points about Terrafugia’s Transition:

• The Transition is in a category of vehicles called roadable aircraft. Unlike novelty flying cars, which can be anything from a military hovercraft to a road car with wings grafted onto it, the Transition is first and foremost an aircraft. It is designed primarily for private pilots who fly to business and personal engagements and need a road vehicle for commuting to and from airports.
• In addition to its flight assemblies, the Transition has a full automotive suspension, crumple zones, and roll cages to meet safety standards for road vehicles. Its wings fold to the side with the push of a button in the cockpit.
• Terrafugia’s design team used SolidWorks to model the Transition’s major assemblies and ensure they would fit together properly before the company committed to physical construction. The machine shops that manufactured components for the aircraft also used SolidWorks 3D models to build the parts.
• Terrafugia relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller CADD Edge for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.

“We put all our designs into SolidWorks, then used the finite element analysis features to determine how much material we could cut out of the design without compromising Transition’s integrity as a road vehicle. SolidWorks let us be very precise, which was important because every ounce counts in this design.”

Samuel Schweighart, Vice President of Engineering and Co-Founder, Terrafugia says:

“It’s interesting how much reality matches what’s in SolidWorks. All the little details we see on the screen end up in reality, so we can modify the design to eliminate whatever we don’t want in the finished product. If we were working with just physical prototypes, we’d end up sanding those unwanted details off the parts by hand.”

Christine Washburn, Vice President, Marketing, Dassault Systems SolidWorks Corp. says:

“Terrafugia successfully created what science fiction writers have been describing for years. Because the Transition is essentially two products in one, there were twice as many engineering challenges. We applaud Terrafugia for overcoming those and putting such an exciting concept into action.”

About Terrafugia

Terrafugia (terra-FOO-gee-ah), based in Woburn, MA, is comprised of a team of award-winning engineers who have been advancing the state of personal aircraft since 2006. Founded by five pilots who are graduates of MIT and supported by a world-class network of advisors and private investors, Terrafugia’s mission is the innovative expansion of personal mobility. "Terrafugia" is Latin for "escape from land."

For more information, visit www.terrafugia.com. 

About CADD Edge

CADD Edge is the developer of the Mechanical Engineering Productivity Machine™. The CADD Edge Productivity Machine enables engineers to design imaginative products exceptionally fast with superior quality. Customized for industry-specific SolidWorks environments, this performance-driven machine is fueled by four components – auditing, implementation, multi-level training, and software utilities – all working together to help companies be first to deliver winning designs from concept to customer.

For more information, visit www.caddedge.com.

About Dassault Systems SolidWorks Corp.

Dassault Systems SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systems S.A. subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions. The company develops and markets software for design, analysis, product data management, and documentation. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, giving teams intuitive, high-performing software that helps them design better products.

For more information, visit www.solidworks.com.

About Dassault Systems

As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systems brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systems develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systems portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product – SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design – DELMIA for virtual production – SIMULIA for virtual testing – ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systems’ shares are listed on Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) and Dassault Systems’ ADRs may be traded on the US Over-The-Counter (OTC) market (DASTY).

For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com. 

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See Also

SolidWorks website

TenLinks SolidWorks Directory - TopTen sites, books, services, 3rd party tools, more, by TenLinks.com

SolidWorks Reading Room - feature articles, reviews, news, by CADdigest.com

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Sep 1 - SolidWorks Officially Unveils v2010, Plans October Release
Aug 12 - SolidWorks, NI Join to Offer Prototyping for Mechatronics
Jun 24 - Wittur Group Standardizes on SolidWorks Enterprise PDM
Mar 19 - SolidWorks Used for Terrafugia Car/Aircraft
Mar 16 - White House Playground Set Designed With SolidWorks
Mar 10 - Cambridge University Designs Solar Car Using SolidWorks
Feb 12 - SolidWorks to Estimate Environmental Impact of Design
Feb 9 - SolidWorks Appoints Christine Washburn as VP, Marketing
Jan 13 - Island Sky Creates Air to Water Converter Using SolidWorks
Nov 13 - Richard Branson to Keynote at SolidWorks 2009 Conference
Oct 8 - SolidWorks, FMA Sponsors Welding School Contest
Sep 18 - SolidWorks Enterprise PDM 2009 Released
Sep 18 - SolidWorks 2009 Released
Aug 12 - SolidWorks to Use Luxology Photorealistic Rendering
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Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external sources and used as is.