 |
Parajet SkyCar Adventure
The Parajet SkyCar is a very cool flying car developed in the UK. It combines a modified dune buggy car with a parafoil to achieve sustained flights at altitudes of up to 3,000 feet.
(Parajet SkyCar)
In January 2009 the Parajet Skycar expedition team, led by former British army officer Neil Laughton and Skycar inventor Gilo Cardozo, successfully completed its inaugural flight, an incredible journey from the picturesque surroundings of London to Tombouctou.Supported by an experienced team of overland adventurers using an assortment of all-terrain vehicles including, 4x4’s, off-road motorbikes and a specialist 8x8 truck to carry supplies, bio-fuel and water, the 42-day expedition travelled through France, Spain and Morocco, and then across the Sahara by way of Mauritania and Mali, before returning home via Senegal - an intrepid maiden voyage of some 9000 km.
Alongside the inhospitable terrain and challenging weather conditions, the team were warned about the threat of kidnap in volatile parts of Africa and the possibility of negotiating minefields in Mauritania.
Take a look at this video showing a daring flight across the Straits of Gibraltar.
(Daring flight across the straits)
I'm reminded of the imaginative kite-copter car from Jack Vance's remarkable 1952 short story The Kokod Warriors:
The observation vehicle was of that peculiar variety used in conveying a large number of people across rough terrain. The car proper was suspended by a pair of cables from the kite-copter which flew five hundred feet overhead. The operator, seated in the nose of the car, worked pitch and attack by remote control, and so could skim quietly five feet over the ground, hover over waterfalls, ridges, ponds, other areas of scenic beauty with neither noise nor the thrash of driven air to disturb the passengers.
Parajet Automotive is taking orders for SkyCars - the estimated standard price is about $100,00. Go ahead - place an order for a Parajet SkyCar.
Adventurous readers may also enjoy this story about a bike attached to a motorized paraglider.
Find out more at the Parajet Automotive website.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/23/2009)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 3 )
Related News Stories - (" Vehicle ")
Elon Musk Seeks To Create 1941 Heinlein Speedster
'The car surged and lifted, clearing its top by a negligible margin.' - Robert Heinlein, 1941.
Have I Seen The Tesla Roadster Story Before?
'Only it wasn't a vessel. It was an automobile...' - Theodore Sturgeon, 1941.
Self-Driving Car Ticketed
This just missed making my day.
Loomo Mini Transporter Robot Companion You Ride On
'Slowly the [robot] horse raised its head, wiggled its ears, blinked twice, gave a tentative whinny.' - Christopher Stasheff, 1969.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
Las Vegas Humans Ready To Strike Over Robots
'A worker replaced by a nubot... had to be compensated.'
You'll Regrow That Limb, One Day
'... forcing the energy transfer which allowed him to regrow his lost fingers.'
Elon Musk Seeks To Create 1941 Heinlein Speedster
'The car surged and lifted, clearing its top by a negligible margin.'
Somnox Sleep Robot - Your Sleepytime Cuddlebot
Science fiction authors are serious about sleep, too.
Real-Life Macau or Ghost In The Shell
Art imitates life imitates art.
Has Climate Change Already Been Solved By Aliens?
'I had explained," said Nessus, "that our civilisation was dying in its own waste heat.'
First 3D Printed Human Corneas From Stem Cells
Just what we need! Lots of spare parts.
VirtualHome: Teaching Robots To Do Chores Around The House
'Just what did I want Flexible Frank to do? - any work a human being does around a house.'
Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) Workshop
SF writers have thought about this since the 19th century.
Nanorobots Roam Your Bloodstream, Cleaning It
Too bad they won't have lasers, though...
Galini 3D Printed Sleeping Pod Tiny Houses
'The houses are prefabricated units...'
MIT Boffins Create Psychopath AI On Purpose
There's a lesson in this for neural net AI engineers everywhere.
Skin Electronics 3D Printed
'June's body is a tracery of lambent lines, like some arcane capillary circuitry...'
Artificial Sensory Neurons For Prosthetics, Robots
Great for humans and robots!
China Uses Artificial Intelligence To Grade Student Papers
Looks like the City Fathers are starting to take over China's education system.
Electronic Tongues Will Rule The Kitchen
'Install taste buds in the end of one tentacle...'
