Photos: Commuter challenge in the skies

This weekend, NASA held its first Personal Aircraft Vehicle (PAV) Challenge, a test of experimental small-seat airplanes--enticing entrants with a prize purse of $250,000, to go along with the sense of aero-geeky accomplishment. The contestants all flew planes that were modified to some degree, including a home-built kit plane called the Vans RV-4, two Slovenia-built sport planes, and a Cessna 172.

The goal of the challenge was to test the fuel efficiency and speed of small planes and to build a model for future PAVs, which proponents hope could one day serve as a more economical, environmentally friendly way for people to get around and circumvent auto gridlock.

Pictured here is Terrafugia's flying-car concept design of what future PAVs might look like in your suburban driveway.

Photo by Stefanie Olsen/CNET News.com

Caption by Stefanie Olsen