Do you remember that scene in "E.T." where the
kids fly away on their BMXs? After seeing it, did you too want to pedal your
bike down the street, over your house and past the moon?
Well,
now that fantasy can be reality with the invention of the Paravelo flying
bicycle.
A pair
of flight enthusiasts, John Foden, 37, and Yannick Read, 42, have devised a
two-wheeled bike -- christened the XploreAir Paravelo -- that transforms into
an aircraft. The British inventors say it is the world's first fully functional
flying bicycle.
The
machine can travel at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour on the road and 25
miles per hour in the air, reaching altitudes of up to 4,000 feet.
"The
Wright brothers were former bicycle mechanics so there's a real connection
between cycling and the birth of powered flight that is recaptured in the
spirit of the Paravelo," says so-creator John Foden.
The
flying bicycle looks like a conventional bike connected to a lightweight
trailer, which houses a giant fan, fuel for the contraption's engine and the
flexible fold-away wing. Both the airframe and bike are made from aircraft
grade aluminum.
The
bicycle can be disconnected from its trailer for inner city use, then docks to
form a 'para-trike' for take-off. In order to fly, the bike and trailer are
fastened together, the wing is unfurled and an electric starter fires the
biofuel-powered 249cc motor. Tired Tour de France competitors might want to
consider this option before taking on a particularly daunting hill climb.
The
Paravelo needs a long stretch of open ground, clear of obstructions for
takeoff. Once airborne, it can stay in the air for up to three hours. Once it's
in the air, the flying bicycle's inventors say that it controls like a
conventional fan-powered paraglider.
The
fan can also be detached entirely from its housing and strapped directly onto
your back. Worn like this, no license is required to fly it in many countries
-- including the U.S. and the UK -- but the United States Powered Paragliding Association strenuously recommends proper
training.
So
unless you have done it before, jumping off the closest cliff in your new
Paravelo is not recommended.
The
bicycle is small enough to be taken on public transport, and the entire vehicle
can be stowed in a garage or carried up stairs and stored at home.
Foden
says that since childhood he and Read had always wanted to construct a flying
bicycle.
"We
live in Kingston-upon-Thames, on the outskirts of London, two minutes' walk
from the birthplace of the Sopwith Aviation Company -- a British aircraft
company that built aircraft including the Sopwith Camel for the Royal Air Force
in World War I," he said. "We spent our childhoods riding bikes and
dreaming of flight."
Foden
and Read hope that at $16,000 the Paravelo will appeal to inner-city flight
hobbyists, and believe that it may also be be useful as a "cost-effective
aerial reconnaissance vehicle for forest rangers and border patrols."
The
flying bicycle's inventors are now looking for support through Kickstarter and have so far raised approximately a
tenth of their $78,000 goal. A film of the Paravelo in action can be seen on YouTube.
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