Car/Parachute Faces Test in Timbuktu

December 1, 2008 — It’s part car, part powered parachute. And it’s going to face the ultimate test as it makes its maiden voyage next month — nearly 4,000 miles — to Timbuktu. It’s the Parajet Skycar, and its lightweight design, advanced aerodynamics and a Yamaha motorcycle engine that runs on biofuel will make it a success, according to the company that manufactures it. Beneath its parachute-like flexible wing flies a small two-seat, dune-buggy-style off-road car with a fan-like propeller on the back. After landing, the pilot can pack up the chute and drive away three minutes later. According to the company, the Skycar will make its maiden voyage in January 2009, traveling from London, above the English Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar, and across the Sahara Desert to Timbuktu, a city in the West African nation of Mali. The expedition route is now being finalized with short breaks throughout Europe to meet with the media. The company hopes to complete the trip within three weeks of departing London. According to the company’s Web site, the Skycar is easy to fly, impossible to stall, and features an emergency ballistic parachute system. In “fly mode” the vehicle has a take-off speed of about 37 mph and a top speed of about 68 mph. It can cruise at 2,000-3,000 feet and has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet. It will have a range of 186 miles or 300 km. In “road mode” the Parajet Skycar will have four-wheel suspension, rear-wheel drive, a top speed of more than 100 mph and a range of about 250 miles. It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. MotorAuthority.com reported the expedition will serve as proof of the vehicle's real-world capability and robustness as the company works toward its final commercial offering. The current-generation tube-framed prototype will be used for the journey, but the company already has a design in the works for a more streamlined vehicle; that 'road-sport' model should be available in 2010.

The Skycar was tested off-road. Photo credit: Parajet Skycar The Skycar Expedition Team plans to travel from London to Timbuktu in a vehicle that is part car and part aircraft. Its builders say the two-seat prototype will drive on land or reach 100 mph at 2,000-3,000 feet in the air. Photo credit: Skycar Expedition The Skycar made its first public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Photo credit: Parajet Skycar

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