A biodiesel-powered flying car

04 December 2008

Parajet, a British company has developed a prototype of the Skycar, the brainchild of Neil Laughton, an ex-Royal Marine Officer who has also served in the SAS, and is now an adventurer.

The skycar consists of a car frame attached to a paramotor, a giant fan powerful enough to propel - whatever it is strapped to - in this case the steel chassis. For lift, the car deploys a flexible wing, similar to a parachute, which can be folded into its trunk in minutes.

Parajet says recent advancement in aerodynamics and flexible-wing technology and parafoil design has been key to developing the skycar. ...

http://www.domain-b.com/automotive/2008/20081204_flying_car.html

Airlines pushing for homegrown jet fuel

Coal-based blend is one possibility

By Chris Kahn, Associated Press • August 24, 2008

PHOENIX -- With the price of oil still above $100 a barrel, everything from wood chips to chicken fat is being scrutinized as an alternative to traditional fuel. But when it comes to airplanes, finding the right mix poses a special challenge. ...

The airline industry is aggressively pushing for homegrown alternatives to petroleum-based jet fuel, while leaning on customers with a variety of new travel charges to help control a projected $61 billion industrywide fuel expense this year. A number of alternatives to standard jet fuel have been studied for years, though aircraft manufacturers say the challenge is to find ideas that will work now. ...

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080824/BUSINESS/808240460

Birdman Flies For 10 Minutes, Channel Next

By The AVweb Editorial Staff
August 25, 2008

Yves Rossy (a.k.a. Birdman and FusionMan) last Wednesday covered 21 miles in 10 minutes with a 120-pound, eight-foot carbon-fiber wing strapped to his back, powered by four micro-turbine jet engines. The distance flown matches that of Calais, France, to Dover, U.K.

Rossy intends to fly across the English Channel Sept. 24 (weather permitting) following Louis Bleriot's 1909 route between those cities. For the test flight, Rossy exited a jump aircraft, unfolded his rigid wing and fired up four micro-turbines attached to its bottom side. He flew from about 7,500 feet above Bex Switzerland to Villeneuve, turned around and flew and back, reaching about 180 mph in clear skies and landing after deploying two parachutes -- one at 5,000 feet and the second at 4,000 feet. He landed with 2 litres of fuel left.

Rossy controls the aircraft by shifting his weight or simply turning his head and shoulders. He wears a heat-resistant suit to protect his legs from exhaust and has evolved his flight envelope to include rolls. Rossy, 48 (49 next week), has logged 1000 hours in the Mirage III and later flew for Swissair. He also has over 1000 parachute jumps to his credit.

Rossy's current project is sponsored by Hublot, the Swiss Watch maker, and his English Channel flight is to be broadcast exclusively by the National Geographic Channel and streamed live online at NatGeoTV.com.

Link to Full Article>

Skybike Under Development

August 3, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Among the latest ideas for roadable aircraft is Sam Bousfield's Skybike, a three-wheeled two-seat motorcycle that will convert itself, with the simple pull of a lever, into an airplane. Beyond its slippery bullet-shaped design, the most eye-catching piece of engineering on the vehicle will be its patent-pending telescoping wing which retracts the lifting surfaces into the fuselage aft of the cockpit. The stress-bearing fuselage will be made from carbon fiber and will house the derated 120 hp motorcycle engine (options being from Yamaha and Suzuki) neatly packed behind the cockpit.

Two ducts, positioned in front of the rear wheels, will feed the fan propelling the aerial configuration of the vehicle. A forward canard will provide flight control as well as limited use in road-going cornering. Tiperons will be used for flight control on the main wings. "We'd like to have a flying prototype by the summer of 2009," claims Bousfield who has contracted Swift Engineering, famed for their work on the Eclipse 400 as well as Indycar racecar designs, to assist with the development of the design. The Skybike is expected to be initially offered as a $50K kit and will be slip into the aviation sector as an LSA. ...

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1178-full.html

For Build A Plane Kids, It's Two Weeks To Taxi

August 2, 2008
By The AVweb Editorial Staff

The folks at Build A Plane, who have been working hard to give school kids around the world a chance to build their own aircraft using donated wrecks and discards, will bring a half dozen kids to Arlington, Wash., next week, to build a brand-new Sportsman 2+2, which will then be donated to Build A Plane. "The kids will get very excited about this and have a great time, and at the end, of course, they'll have been tricked into learning a whole lot about math and science and engineering," Build A Plane's Lyn Freeman told AVweb on Friday morning at EAA AirVenture.

The Glasair program was announced here this week, and the effort continues to attract widespread support from the aviation world, from Snap-on Tools to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association to Cessna CEO Jack Pelton. Build A Plane donates aircraft projects to schools at no charge and supports their efforts to construct or rebuild the aircraft to flying condition. Many teachers team up with local EAA chapters to provide technical support.

More than 70 projects already are underway, and the number is expected to reach 100 by the end of this year. Freeman is always looking for more airplanes -- for more information, go to BuildAPlane.org or call (920) 279-3714. ...

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1177-full.html#198491