Flyboard Air
| Flyboard Air | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Jetpack |
| Design country: |
France |
| Manufacturer: |
Zapata |
The Flyboard Air is an aircraft from the French manufacturer Zapata Racing named after the inventor Franky Zapata , who already developed the Flyboard .
history
On April 30, 2016, Franky Zapata set a Guinness World Record for the longest flyboard flight at 2252 meters off the coast of Sausset-les-Pins in Provence . On the occasion of the French National Day military parade on July 14, 2019, Franky Zapata demonstrated the Flyboard Air with a flight over the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
On July 25, 2019, an attempt to cross the English Channel failed ; Franky Zapata fell into the water and was rescued unharmed except for a small scratch wound.
On August 4, 2019, Zapata managed to fly over the English Channel, which is around 35 km wide here, in 22 minutes with a stopover on a boat to refuel. During this flight he already reached a speed of 170 km / h.
construction
The Flyboard Air consists of a small, four-legged platform on which the pilot stands about shoulder-width apart and is strapped to his feet. The lift force for take-off and flight comes from several gas turbines , the downward direction of which can be controlled to a certain extent. Due to the forward inclination of the flyboard and the person standing on it, a (small) component of the gas recoil acts as propulsive force, which - provided that the system is properly balanced against tilting and climbing / sinking - enables the device to fly horizontally.
The required fuel is carried in the pilot's backpack, which puts ballast on the pilot and thus makes him more balanced, but requires a correspondingly high level of standing and carrying strength. The slightly angled knee joints and the spine are used for balancing. In lateral flight, air resistance and lateral guidance forces on the upper body and arms are important and can be used for alignment and balancing.
The Flyboard Air, which is lifted by a gas jet of accelerated air and combustion exhaust, appears to be similar in this aspect to a flyboard , from which a jet of water splashes downwards. It would be a mistake to say 'In fact, a water-powered flyboard (including hose and water column) is also lifted to a large extent by the deflection reaction force of the water flow in the 180 ° bend at the upper end of the feed hose coming from below.' The lifting force is equal to the temporal change in the vertical impulse component of the water, which is zero when it enters. By controlling the exit direction of the free water jet in relation to the plumb line, the flyboard can be balanced.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| payload | 100 kg |
| Empty mass | 20 kg |
| Top speed | 140 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 150 m |
| Range | Max. 18 km (without refueling) |
| Engines | Five turbine jet engines |
Uses
On the homepage of Zapata's company, possible uses in the military, rescue services and industry are listed as conceivable.
Zapata's company Z-AIR has already received a subsidy of 1.3 million euros from the French Ministry of Defense. France's Defense Minister Florence Parly has considered a military use.
See also
- Flyboard , with water jet propulsion
- Jetlev flyer
- Rocket backpack , with rocket propulsion
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kevin Lynch: Confirmed: Franky Zapata sets new Farthest hoverboard flight record in France. In: Farthest flight by hoverboard. Guinness World Records, April 30, 2016, accessed July 15, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Stunned military parade - France presents “Flying Man”. In: Politics abroad. Die Welt , July 14, 2019, accessed on July 15, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c heise online: Mission successful: "Rocket Man" Franky Zapata crosses the English Channel. Retrieved August 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Sebastian Steinke: Flyboard Air crashes when crossing a canal. Inventor announces another attempt. In: Flight Revue . Aviation Media & IT GmbH, July 25, 2019, accessed on July 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Franky Zapata: Rocket Man flies over the English Channel. Retrieved August 6, 2019 .
- ↑ "Fliegender Mann" manages to cross the English Channel orf.at, August 4, 2019, accessed August 4, 2019.
- ↑ Franky Zapata: Rocket Man flies over the English Channel. Retrieved August 6, 2019 .
- ↑ heise online: Mission successful: "Rocket Man" Franky Zapata crosses the English Channel. Retrieved August 6, 2019 .
- ↑ mdr.de: This is how the French Flyboard Air | works MDR.DE. Retrieved August 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Franky Zapata: rocket man crosses the English Channel - Golem.de. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 (German).