The World's First Bio-fuelled Flying Car
For many, a flying car is but a dream. For the Skycar Expedition Team it is now a reality, paving the way for this to become a common sight in our skies. Whether you are searching for environmentally friendly practical transport or new thrills the Parajet Skycar is no longer a dream….... a machine that can drive like a car and fly like an aeroplane, capable of beating congestion for the commuter or providing a low cost method of reaching remote regions only accessible by helicopter.
We are currently building the world’s first flying Parajet Skycar and after rigorous testing will travel from London across the Sahara to Tombouctou for the maiden voyage in Spring 2009. It will be the first high performance, road legal, carbon neutral flying car capable of providing sports and rally car performance on or off the road and light aircraft performance after just a few minutes of wing preparation.
Cutting Edge Flexible Wing Technology
A practical flying car has been impossible since aviation began, many attempts have been made...even as far back as the 1960's innovative engineers were designing folding wings that could be towed behind a car or attached to the car specifically for take-off. So many attempts have been made and yet still today there is nothing available. A practical SkyCar is now possible for the first time in aviation history due to rapid advancements in flexible wing technology. Wing Designer Mike Campbell Jones of Paramania Powergliders is responsible for this revolution in flexible wing technology.
The SkyCar is made possible by employing the latest technology in high speed, self stabilising, parafoil design. The future in this emerging technology is promising airspeeds of up to 100mph, with precise handling performance and an increased safety factor over conventional rigid wings. The SkyCar 'ParaWing' is so compact it can literally be folded into the boot of the SkyCar by the pilot alone.
Our prototype Parajet Skycar has a steel framed chassis although subsequent models will be made from aluminium which will be lighter and thus increase range, performance and luggage capacity. One pilot and one passenger will travel side by side.
Fly Mode
The Parajet Skycar in "fly mode" will be suspended by the latest ram-air wing and capable of take-off from a field or airstrip in less than 200 metres. It will be easier and safer to fly than any other aircraft, as it has no pitch control and therefore impossible to stall or dive. Should the engine fail, the pilot would simply glide down into the nearest field or strip of sandy desert. In the event of catastrophic wing failure, car connection system failure or mid-air collision, an emergency ballistic reserve parachute can be deployed.
In “fly mode” the Parajet Skycar will have:
A take-off speed of 60 kmph
A top speed of 110 kmph
A range of 300 km.
A cruising altitude of 2000 – 3000 ft
A maximum altitude of 15,000 ft.
Road Mode
In "road mode" the Parajet Sykycar will have:
Independent 4 wheel suspension
Rear wheel drive
Acceleration from 0-100 kmph in 4.5 seconds
A top speed of 180 kmph
A range of 400 km.
Conversion from “road mode” to “fly mode” and visa-versa will take just three minutes.
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