Flynano

 

The Flynano is a single-seat microlight which was designed and developed by Aki Suokas, an aviation consultant, flight designer and pilot.

The Flynano has been in development for 10 years, and it recently made its world debut at the Aero 2011 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The biggest obstacle facing Aki while designing the Flynano was weight. In order to fall within the microlight category of aircraft, the Flynano had to weigh in at under 70 kilos (154 lbs) - that's including the engine!

Normally when you think of microlights, images of flimsy fabric wings and a mess of aluminium tubes springs to mind. But with the Flynano you get a compact but sturdy looking aircraft constructed almost entirely from carbon fiber. This lightweight material is the secret to the Flynano's success.

The Flynano's Wingspan is nearly 5 meters (16 ft), nose to tail it measures 3.5 m (11.4 ft), and it's 1.3 m (4.2 ft) high. Maximum take off weight is 200 Kg (440 lbs) so if you're over 130 kgs (286 lbs) you're out of luck - and should probably consider going on a diet. The cruising speed range of the Flynano is 43 - 87 mph (70 – 140 km/h) with a service ceiling of 1.85 miles (3 km).

Perhaps the only drawback to the Flynano's design is the fact it can only takeoff and land on water. Hopefully at some point a suitably lightweight wheeled undercarriage option will be made available.

When deliveries of the Flynano start later in 2011 three variants will be available including the E 200 electric model, the two-stroke engine powered G 240 series, and the higher performance R 260/300 series.

Prices for the Flynano start at €25,000 ($36,000) and rise to €27,000 ($39,000).

Source: Flynano via Gizmag