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June 13, 2008
Friday
 
 
A foldable aircraft
Johnathan Pearce (London)  Aerospace

This is very cool.. I reckon 007 should get Q to make him one with all those lovely "additional features".

Comments

What a nice plane !

A.J.(Link)


Posted by Allain Jules at June 13, 2008 11:49 AM

You think that's cool...

How about this.

Oh, and JP I have not a Quantum of Solace for your Bond fixation ;-)


Posted by Nick M at June 13, 2008 12:30 PM

Nick, I know, I am still dreaming of getting a car that can go under water with a stunning Russian spy at the wheel.......


Posted by Johnathan Pearce at June 13, 2008 12:37 PM

That's not going to work. It's far too expensive for its market.


Posted by Billy Beck at June 13, 2008 12:45 PM

"Nick, I know, I am still dreaming of getting a car that can go under water with a stunning Russian spy at the wheel......."

I know an ugly Russian brute who'll push your car in the river for free.


Posted by WalterBoswell at June 13, 2008 12:51 PM

BTW: Looks like mah county men have said a big noes to teh EU constitution. Hurrah.


Posted by WalterBoswell at June 13, 2008 01:20 PM

Bah!, We've done better! In the mid 1950s Goodyear Rubber created two versions of an Inflatable Airplane for the US government. It could be rolled up in a bundle and dropped from a regular aircraft. The inside surfaces of the wings were connected by fibers that maintaned aerodynamic shape against the internal pressure. With a compressor running off of the tiny engine, the inflatoplane could even fly while leaking from rifle shots fired by the Volpos as you escaped from the Eastern Zone.


Posted by Petronius at June 13, 2008 02:39 PM
"Nick, I know, I am still dreaming of getting a car that can go under water with a stunning Russian spy at the wheel......."

I know an ugly Russian brute who'll push your car in the river for free.

LOL!
Posted by Alisa at June 13, 2008 05:02 PM

"It's far too expensive for its market."

Heck, a new-build J3 Cub can list at over $100K these days.

Sadly, in the current Light Sport Aircraft market, their quoted price of $139K puts it just a bit above the average for a new production LSA with better than bare-bones VFR instrumentation. And pretty much in the ballpark for factory-built amphibians.

For example, one of the best sellers in the US market, the Flight Designs CT, goes for $110K, basic VFR, no options.

You can save some by making your own (figuring your time to be donated), or flying a glorified ultralight, but it will have fairly severe limits on performance.

Something like the Diamond DA-20 trainer, just a little north of LSA weight limits, goes for about
$170K, and it's up from there.

40 to 70 year old trainers are selling for more than they did new, lots more if they've been well overhauled.


Posted by steveH at June 18, 2008 01:35 AM
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