The roadable aircraft for the masses has arrived.
....as a homebuilder kit right now, with the aircraft being cathegorized as experimental by the FAA.
...and it's a flying single seat motorcycle(3 wheeled), not a flying car.Also, it's an autogyro, not an aeroplane...but that's even better because it can take-off and land with very short rollouts. Take-off and landing distance is less than 200 feet. best thing....the rotor folds, so it fits easily in your garage!
This beautiful contraption is called the Super Sky Cycle and comes from a company called The Butterfly LLC. They have other gyroplanes available, but the Sky Cycle is the only one that is currently roadable. As in you can get it licensed as a motorcycle and ride to work in it.
The engine can engage the two rear wheels for a highway speed of up to 55mph. Airspeed is said to be over 100mph. This is not lightning fast, but plenty for commuting and pleasure flying.
An enclosed composite body is in the works, which would make this truly practical for the road, especially if you plan on riding into anything other than a typical Florida day.
Autogyros(also known as gyroplanes), although they look like helicopters, function on a different principle: The rotor is spun by incoming air, so some forward speed is needed to fly. For landing, it usually comes in at an angle, then flares, like a helicopter does when autorotating.The engine controls a propeller that generates forward speed.
There were autogyros that had the rotor connect to the engine for brief periods, thus allowing vertical take-offs and landings. However, I believe in this case it would make the whole design very complicated and too heavy, because the engine already connects to the transaxle for road usage
Best of luck to The Butterfly LLC and we're waiting to see even more roadable models, and maybe certified, production aircraft as well!
