31 July 2010

Be Your Own Top Gun with the Maverick Sport Flying Car


This two-seater, push-prop puppy looks like an extended thrill ride waiting to happen. A light weight, high performance dune buggy that can also fly -- using its inflatable wing and intrinsic telescopic mast.
As a car alone, the vehicle’s performance is pretty impressive. Its 140 hp, fuel-injected, 16-valve Subaru EJ22 engine sends it from 0 to 60mph in 3.9 seconds, it has a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h), and the whole rig weighs less than 1,000 pounds (454 kg).

When it’s time to fly, the Maverick’s central telescopic mast raises and acts as a wing spar for its chute, properly known as a ram-air wing. The flip of a switch diverts engine power from the rear wheels to the rear-mounted five-blade propeller, which propels the car across the ground, up to its take-off speed of 40mph (64km/h). Thanks to its ram-air wing design, the Maverick can take flight in only 300 feet (91 meters).

Once in the air, the vehicle’s electronic fly-by-wire system allows the pilot to steer it with the steering wheel, just like they would on the ground. According to I-TEC, existing sport pilots can learn to fly the Maverick within 12 hours. A dash-mounted Garmin GPS allows for both aerial and ground-based navigation. In flight mode, it has a maximum payload of 330 pounds (150 kg). _Gizmag

Mounting pontoons to the basic unit should be a snap, providing airboat capabilities using the push-prop. Water takeoffs and landings should be within reach, once you tweak the aerodynamics and weight balance of your flotation.

Watch the video, and then tell me you're not in love. I like this inflatable wing flying car better than the Parajet.

Available within a year, price unknown. Designed and built by missionaries. ;-) Really.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Loren said...

If the thing is less than 1000 lbs, inflatable pontoons might be reasonable, and the propeller can be used to push it, kinda like those swamp boats.

There might be some advantages to being able to hang around on the surface of the water, but why bother with swimming when you can fly?

Saturday, 31 July, 2010  

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