{"id":7840,"date":"2013-06-13T10:28:54","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T17:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=7840"},"modified":"2013-06-13T10:45:32","modified_gmt":"2013-06-13T17:45:32","slug":"a-flying-bike-but-the-pilots-a-real-dummy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/a-flying-bike-but-the-pilots-a-real-dummy\/","title":{"rendered":"A Flying Bike! But the Pilot\u2019s a Real Dummy"},"content":{"rendered":"

We reported here last year on a flying bicycle being designed<\/a> by Duratec Bicycles and Evektor Aviation using Dassault 3D CAD software.\u00a0 The companies revealed their actual flying demonstrator at a press conference<\/a> this week, but the pilot stood nearby with a radio control transmitter while a mannequin was flown around the large room.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vUUmRXNR52M<\/p>\n

For now, it can do that for only five minutes, but Michael Duchek, technical director for Duratec, has hope.\u00a0 “Because the capacity of batteries doubles about every ten years, we can expect that in the future the capacity would be enough for the bike to be used for sports, tourism or similar things\u201d<\/p>\n

Its six propellers arranged much like a quadrotor, currently popular with design teams intent on delivering tacos, burritos, pizzas and even sushi by air<\/a>, the bike\u2019s greater weight and bulk make it more of a handful to fly.\u00a0 Pilot Jan Spatny says, \u201cIt’s not as easy (to control) as a toy or RC (Remote Control) model. It’s quite a complicated thing; you have to take into account that it weighs 95 kilos. You have to take into account motionlessness and other things.”<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pIrSfIEwkFk<\/p>\n

It may even have a real pilot some day, since it has the ability to lift up to 11 and half stone (A \u201cstone\u201d is an antiquated measurement equal to 14 pounds.\u00a0 11.5 stone would be 161 pounds.)<\/p>\n

The BBC noted an earlier successful flight by a flying bicycle which combined pedal power, a two-stroke engine and a big parachute.\u00a0 Not as \u201cgreen\u201d as the Czech machine, it was a great deal more practical in terms of allowing a very long trip from Lands End in Cornwall County, England to John O\u2019Groats at the northern end of Scotland.\u00a0 Flown for a juvenile diabetes charity and raising much more than its planned amount, the journey was an 11-day epic that started with 30 miles of \u201cfierce pedaling,\u201d then went airborne, covering the length of the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bike has to be refuelled about every two hours, is able to carry up to 25.4kg (56lb) of luggage, and can reach a flying speed of about 32km\/h (20mph). According to\u00a0Mr. Carver’s website<\/a>, the device is now for sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies such as Para-Cycle sell similar devices as well, but a huge parachute may prove cumbersome for the city commuter.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Carver\u2019s mechanical and technical statistics for the flight, including the number of insulin shots needed for the trip, help us understand his motivations.<\/p>\n

The BBC report shared some details about the technical end of things, but the short video below illuminates the hopes that go with such inventions. \u00a0It also shows that such otherwise trivial inventions have a grander purpose.<\/p>\n