Leon
10-01-2003, 12:10
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a strap-on flying machine. And it could be yours on eBay for $1 million (625,000 pounds) with just one catch -- you have to agree not to use it.
Designers of a personal aircraft that they hope might one day transport soldiers over land mines or zip commuters above rush hour traffic are putting the one-of-a-kind device up for auction on Friday to help raise cash for further research.
"Nobody has ever done anything like it," said Michael Moshier, chief executive of Trek Aerospace, the company that designed the machine. "It is the first aircraft that you can strap on your back and allows you to fly around like a bird."
He says the compact SoloTrek XFV can hover for more than two hours at a time and is easy to fly.
The machine stands about 7-feet-tall , weighs more than 21 stones (136 kilograms) and is a somewhat bizarre looking contraption with its two overhead engines above the tripod frame that holds the pilot. It also can hold a pilot and gear weighing up to a total of 17 stones (108 kilograms).
The aircraft is still in the developmental stage but Moshier envisions a day when the sky is full of people dashing across town in the flying machines that operate much like a helicopter.
While the public has never seen the aircraft fly because the testing has been private so far, Moshier assures potential buyers that the machine works and the company has pictures on its Web site to prove it.
"We have never demonstrated it publicly," Moshier said. "But it could (be seen in public) as soon as six months if things go well."
VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING
A pilot in a standing position controls the device, which takes off and lands vertically and flies at speeds of up to 69 miles per hour with a range of 100 miles. The SoloTrek will eventually launch and land on a site the size of a dining room table, the company predicts.
The gasoline-powered aircraft also has two overhead engines and is built to fly between 8,000 to 10,000 feet above ground, although Moshier said test pilots have so far only taken the prototype a few feet in the air.
"That is just limited to how much we are willing to fall until we complete our development testing," Moshier said. "As a practical matter they are designed to just get up over buildings and treetops and just go where you want to go."
The pilot flies using a pair of joysticks that control the engine on the aircraft, which made its maiden voyage in December 2001. The machine is about as loud as a leafblower but designers are working to make it even quieter, Moshier said.
There is one hitch for the top bidder, however. The winner will not be able to fly the aircraft home and must sign an agreement promising not to operate the machine as the company does not want to get sued if somebody gets hurt using it, Moshier said.
Because of this, the Moshier expects that a museum or aviation enthusiast will weigh in with a top bid that should top the $1 million mark during the one-week auction, which starts Friday.
"Frankly, we need the cash," Moshier said.
All told, the 10-person company has spent seven years and about $4 million, which includes funds from a $5 million, three-year military grant, to design the personal flying machine, he added.
PURE JOY OF FLYING
The armed forces are the first target for the company, which says the machine will allow soldiers to fly over land mines, impassable roads, rivers, and areas where enemy troops might be hiding.
Everyday consumers may also one day reap the benefits from a device that could carry tourists over inaccessible scenic country, shorten commute times and let people live farther away from their jobs.
But beyond the practical applications, company founder Moshier said the pure joy of flying will probably be enough to launch a future generation of enthusiasts into the air.
"I don't have any more adjectives to describe it," Moshier said. "It is exhilarating beyond description."
Dreams of flight stretch back to Ancient Greek mythology which chronicles the story of Icarus who burned his man-made wings by flying too close to the sun.
The great Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci was also fascinated by the idea of flight and left behind numerous sketchings and writings on the subject.
But Trek Aerospace's Moshier said the laws of physics have made it difficult to turn flights of fantasy into reality. For example, generating enough thrust to launch the 120-horsepower SoloTrek was a major problems for his company.
In order to overcome this and other hurdles, the company consulted with a wide range of outside engineers and scientists, including experts from NASA. Additionally, technological advances have recently provided the kind of lighter-weight, sturdy material and electronic components needed to get the machine off the ground.
"If it was easy someone would have done it a long time ago," Moshier said. "There are many, many problems that aren't obvious until you start on it."
Designers of a personal aircraft that they hope might one day transport soldiers over land mines or zip commuters above rush hour traffic are putting the one-of-a-kind device up for auction on Friday to help raise cash for further research.
"Nobody has ever done anything like it," said Michael Moshier, chief executive of Trek Aerospace, the company that designed the machine. "It is the first aircraft that you can strap on your back and allows you to fly around like a bird."
He says the compact SoloTrek XFV can hover for more than two hours at a time and is easy to fly.
The machine stands about 7-feet-tall , weighs more than 21 stones (136 kilograms) and is a somewhat bizarre looking contraption with its two overhead engines above the tripod frame that holds the pilot. It also can hold a pilot and gear weighing up to a total of 17 stones (108 kilograms).
The aircraft is still in the developmental stage but Moshier envisions a day when the sky is full of people dashing across town in the flying machines that operate much like a helicopter.
While the public has never seen the aircraft fly because the testing has been private so far, Moshier assures potential buyers that the machine works and the company has pictures on its Web site to prove it.
"We have never demonstrated it publicly," Moshier said. "But it could (be seen in public) as soon as six months if things go well."
VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING
A pilot in a standing position controls the device, which takes off and lands vertically and flies at speeds of up to 69 miles per hour with a range of 100 miles. The SoloTrek will eventually launch and land on a site the size of a dining room table, the company predicts.
The gasoline-powered aircraft also has two overhead engines and is built to fly between 8,000 to 10,000 feet above ground, although Moshier said test pilots have so far only taken the prototype a few feet in the air.
"That is just limited to how much we are willing to fall until we complete our development testing," Moshier said. "As a practical matter they are designed to just get up over buildings and treetops and just go where you want to go."
The pilot flies using a pair of joysticks that control the engine on the aircraft, which made its maiden voyage in December 2001. The machine is about as loud as a leafblower but designers are working to make it even quieter, Moshier said.
There is one hitch for the top bidder, however. The winner will not be able to fly the aircraft home and must sign an agreement promising not to operate the machine as the company does not want to get sued if somebody gets hurt using it, Moshier said.
Because of this, the Moshier expects that a museum or aviation enthusiast will weigh in with a top bid that should top the $1 million mark during the one-week auction, which starts Friday.
"Frankly, we need the cash," Moshier said.
All told, the 10-person company has spent seven years and about $4 million, which includes funds from a $5 million, three-year military grant, to design the personal flying machine, he added.
PURE JOY OF FLYING
The armed forces are the first target for the company, which says the machine will allow soldiers to fly over land mines, impassable roads, rivers, and areas where enemy troops might be hiding.
Everyday consumers may also one day reap the benefits from a device that could carry tourists over inaccessible scenic country, shorten commute times and let people live farther away from their jobs.
But beyond the practical applications, company founder Moshier said the pure joy of flying will probably be enough to launch a future generation of enthusiasts into the air.
"I don't have any more adjectives to describe it," Moshier said. "It is exhilarating beyond description."
Dreams of flight stretch back to Ancient Greek mythology which chronicles the story of Icarus who burned his man-made wings by flying too close to the sun.
The great Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci was also fascinated by the idea of flight and left behind numerous sketchings and writings on the subject.
But Trek Aerospace's Moshier said the laws of physics have made it difficult to turn flights of fantasy into reality. For example, generating enough thrust to launch the 120-horsepower SoloTrek was a major problems for his company.
In order to overcome this and other hurdles, the company consulted with a wide range of outside engineers and scientists, including experts from NASA. Additionally, technological advances have recently provided the kind of lighter-weight, sturdy material and electronic components needed to get the machine off the ground.
"If it was easy someone would have done it a long time ago," Moshier said. "There are many, many problems that aren't obvious until you start on it."