ABS Aerolight Navigathor
| Navigathor | |
|---|---|
| Role | Powered parachute and roadable aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | ABS Aerolight |
| Status | Production completed |
The ABS Aerolight Navigathor is a French powered parachute and roadable aircraft that was designed and produced by ABS Aerolight of Sérignan-du-Comtat. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft and as a kit for amateur construction.[1]
The company appears to have gone out of business in late 2007 and production ended.[2][3]
Design and development
The Navigathor is a development of the earlier ATE, which stands for Air-Terre-Eau (English: Air-Land-Water) and indicates that the vehicle is capable of being used as a flying car with a top road speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) or as a boat with a top water speed of 7 km/h (4 mph).[1]
As an aircraft the Navigathor was designed to comply with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). The aircraft has a maximum gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb). The aircraft carriage is built from a combination of metal tubing and composites and features a wedge-shaped boat hull. It features a 46 m2 (500 sq ft) parachute-style wing, two-seats-in-tandem in an open cockpit, four-wheeled cross country all terrain vehicle style landing gear and a single 105 hp (78 kW) Hirth F-30 four-cylinder, horizontally opposed, two-stroke, aircraft engine, mounted in pusher configuration. In all modes the vehicle is powered by its ducted propeller.[1]
The vehicle has an empty weight of 230 kg (507 lb) and a gross weight of 450 kg (992 lb), giving a useful load of 220 kg (485 lb). With full fuel of 35 litres (7.7 imp gal; 9.2 US gal) the payload is 195 kg (430 lb).[1]
Variants
- ATE
- Initial model flying car/boat, Air-Terre-Eau (English: Air-Land-Water).[1]
- Navigathor
- Improved model flying car/boat.[1]
Specifications (Navigathor)
Data from Bertrand[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 46 m2 (500 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 2.7:1
- Empty weight: 230 kg (507 lb)
- Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 35 litres (7.7 imp gal; 9.2 US gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Hirth F-30 four cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled aircraft engine, 78 kW (105 hp)
Performance
- Rate of climb: 3 m/s (590 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 9.7 kg/m2 (2.0 lb/sq ft)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 78. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ ABS Aerolight (18 May 2015). "Domain for sale". Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "Archives of www.absaerolight.com". Archive.org. 16 December 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2001. Retrieved 22 August 2016.