RUTAN LAUNCHES FLYING CAR
21 Jul 2011
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TOP aircraft designer Burt Rutan has developed a flying car powered by hybrid petrol electric engines.
The 'BiPod' was Burt's final design before he retired last April. It's possible the news is being released now because the BiPod may be at next week's EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh.
LOOP will have a full team at Oshkosh, including a video producer, and will bring news as its breaks. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and here at loop.aero
Rutan's company, Scaled Composites, says the BiPod was conceived as a rapid, low-cost electric testbed. It has achieved several 'hops' during testing at the company's Mojave Desert HQ but has yet to make a proper flight.
"BiPod's twin fuuselage configuration provides a low drag eenclosure for a robust, 4-wheeled chasssis with two cockpits, while providing a protected sstorage location for the wings and tail surfaces during ground opperations," says Scaled Composites.
"Two internal combustion enngines, one per fuselage, provide power to the rear wheels and to propellers located on the horizontal stabilizer. Lithium battteries in the nose provide additional energy for take-off and in the case of an engine emergency."
LINKScaled Composites
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