By Mark Brown, Wired UK
The breakout star of this month's Aero show in Friedrichshafen -- Europe's top aviation event -- has to be the electric FlyNano "fun flyer".
It's the creation of aviation consultant and flight designer Aki Suokas, who reckons that the lightweight body and tiny design makes it the closest you're going to get to experiencing personal flight.
Its featherweight 70 kilogram body (154 pounds) and low power propeller means the FlyNano skirts the definition of an aircraft. That's deliberate -- by landing outside the classification of what makes a plane a plane, the craft can be flown in a number of countries without going through the rigmarole of securing a pilot's license.
The FlyNano, which takes off and lands on water, has a cruising speed of 140km/h (87 mph) and a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) on a single charge. You don't have to stump for electric, if you don't fancy: the G and R Series versions come with 24- and 35-horsepower petrol motors and greater range: upwards of 70 kilometers (44 miles) on a full tank.
The carbon fiber body has a wingspan of just 5 (16.4 feet) meters, the craft is 3.5 meter (11.4 feet) from tip to tail and as long as you keep the weight of everyone aboard to less than 200 kilos (440 pounds) you can take it up to an altitude of almost two miles.
If you fancy a FlyNano it will cost you around £22,000 to £24,000 -- about $40,000 -- to secure one, once the firm starts deliveries in around three months time.
Image: FlyNano
