Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in BC
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister
Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in BC
http://globalnews.ca/news/551930/futuri ... ernon-b-c/
Two aboard, both alright... Video was an interesting precursor for events to come.
Two aboard, both alright... Video was an interesting precursor for events to come.
-
- Rank 2
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:00 pm
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
One question.....WHY?
-
- Rank 8
- Posts: 917
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 10:13 am
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
Sometimes, the differences between a dreamer, a genius and a nutcase are minimal 

- Shiny Side Up
- Top Poster
- Posts: 5335
- Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2004 5:02 pm
- Location: Group W bench
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
I think "contraption" is an accurate description.when the contraption went out of control as it was landing at the airport in Vernon, B.C.
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
An animated Video of the accident sequence (TSB investigation findings) would be good as the sequel. They may still be on track with success here (after some "sober" thought ... ) seeing how the schoolyard was avoided and no serious injury ... yet; ... after all, it has a parachute.Walker wrote:Video was an interesting precursor for events to come.
"Powered parachute" is still apparently the politically correct way to refer to this "experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing".
-
- Rank 8
- Posts: 917
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 10:13 am
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
Me thinks there should be an ejection handle for the chute/canopy when, after touchdown, things dont look soooo good 

Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
From VANCOUVER SUN
Flying cars grounded after Vernon crash
Vancouver Sun
The U.S. manufacturer of flying cars has grounded all five of its prototypes until it can determine a cause for a recent crash in B.C., the Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. One of the Maverick flying cars crashed near a Vernon elementary school last week, leaving a pilot and a passenger with minor injuries. The safety board's Bill Yearwood says representatives of the manufacturer are in the Okanagan attempting to determine what caused the temporary loss of control. Until that has been determined, Yearwood says the maker has decided to ground the prototypes. The safety board has no jurisdiction in the investigation because the Maverick isn't a registered aircraft, and Yearwood says it will be up to the builders to report back on the cause of the crash during a test flight. The vehicle resembles a dune buggy that has a large propeller on the back and uses a type of parasail for flight.
Flying cars grounded after Vernon crash
Vancouver Sun
The U.S. manufacturer of flying cars has grounded all five of its prototypes until it can determine a cause for a recent crash in B.C., the Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. One of the Maverick flying cars crashed near a Vernon elementary school last week, leaving a pilot and a passenger with minor injuries. The safety board's Bill Yearwood says representatives of the manufacturer are in the Okanagan attempting to determine what caused the temporary loss of control. Until that has been determined, Yearwood says the maker has decided to ground the prototypes. The safety board has no jurisdiction in the investigation because the Maverick isn't a registered aircraft, and Yearwood says it will be up to the builders to report back on the cause of the crash during a test flight. The vehicle resembles a dune buggy that has a large propeller on the back and uses a type of parasail for flight.
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
Why? Because they got tired of playing in the mud.... That's why....
Now if they could have put a Tdi in there now that would have been something.......
Now if they could have put a Tdi in there now that would have been something.......
- Panama Jack
- Rank 11
- Posts: 3263
- Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 8:10 am
- Location: Back here
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
Sad to hear this. I understand the Maverick will be on display at Oshkosh this summer. The inventor is actually one of the children of the missionaries made famous in the movie "End of the Spear" who were killed in Ecuador. The motive for his invention was an all-terrain, easy to fly vehicle which can be used by local people for medivac purposes. Aparently he has already provided one and trained a couple of Huaorani tribes people to fly the aircraft.
I am concerned about the safety record though. If only 5 have delivered to date, then this accident makes it crash #2 that I know about.
I am concerned about the safety record though. If only 5 have delivered to date, then this accident makes it crash #2 that I know about.
-
- Rank 7
- Posts: 639
- Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:17 pm
- Location: The Okanagan
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
PJ: You are quite right to be a bit concerned about this machine. I saw the thing "manoeuvering" on several flights and came to the conclusion that it was extremely difficult to control in other than no-wind conditions. To fly it, it appears that it is important to have no prior flight experience as a high-time jumper said he wouldn't touch it with an eleven-foot pole and all the pilots here searched for overhead cover whenever the "contraption" went airborne. It appears to be a solution for which there was no problem. To paraphrase Wilbur Wright: “Like all novices we began with the experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing (ECUP) but soon saw it had no future and dropped it. The ECUP does, with great labor, only what the balloon does without labor, and is no more fitted than the balloon for rapid horizontal flight. If its engine stops, it must fall with deathly violence, for it can neither float like a balloon nor glide like an airplane. The ECUP is much easier to design than an airplane, but it is worthless when done.”
I am hopeful the owner/operator of the ECUP will see the light (so to speak...)
I am hopeful the owner/operator of the ECUP will see the light (so to speak...)
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
That's quite a paraphrase.
-
- Rank 4
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 10:39 am
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
Thats quite the flying machine...yikes!
Re: Experimental car/ultralight/paraglider thing crashes in
Well they flew a few times at the Air Venture in Oshkosh......interesting! The crowd was very quiet on the first flight, almost like ever one was holding their breath, letting out a cheer when she took to the air!