TF-X

grabcad

This is my entry for the Industrial Design Challenge by Terrafugia in which we were asked to redesign their TF-X vehicle and make it more attractive to potential customers. Unfortunately I didn't have the time needed to fisnish this model but I'm happy with what I accomplished in the short time I had available. My main focus was reducing the frontal area of the vehicle and providing enough clean air for the rear ducted fun. These areas are important because they affect performance and fuel consumption. Because of my focus on these areas, the vehicle ended up looking more like an airplane than a car. The original TF-X concept has four wheels and the team at Terrafugia prefers four wheels compared to only three but I disagree and therefore chose to have only three wheels, two at the front and one at the rear. This accomplishes two things, first it reduces weight and second, three wheels are easier to package into an aero-efficient shape. The front wheels are hidden inside the nose-section of the vehicle when in flight. This reduces the frontal area and drag of the vehicle. When the vehicle is to be driven on a road the front wheels are moved into position in a few seconds and the vehicle is ready to be driven on asphalt. Plates contained inside the nose-section move into the "old" position of the wheels and their mudguards. This preserves the aestetics of the vehicle and keeps it streamlined. When the wheels are brought in again, just before flight, these plates retract again in the nose-section. Things to note: No rear wheel on the model No suspension arms on the model No propellers in "drive-mode" No lights and such details