LEJOG by flying recumbent trike?

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/lands-end-to-john-ogroats-by-flying-tricycle-22666

Okay, so it uses an engine whilst flying but on the ground it's a FWD
delta recumbent trike! Personally I think the guy in question is ever so
slightly barking (and that's in comparison to other LEJOGers / JOGLErs!)
but kind of cool too!
--
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ...

Alistair Gunn wrote:
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/lands-end-to-john-ogroats-by-flying-tricycle-22666

Okay, so it uses an engine whilst flying but on the ground it's a FWD
delta recumbent trike! Personally I think the guy in question is ever so
slightly barking (and that's in comparison to other LEJOGers / JOGLErs!)
but kind of cool too!

Is that thing road legal when cycling?
I wonder if it can be classified as a pedal cycle when it has an engine
attached, even if the engine is not being used.
Secondly, I wonder what the drag is like when he is cycling on road,
especially as he will be mainly on road in windy conditions.

Martin.

On 3 Aug, 23:22, Martin wrote:
Alistair Gunn wrote:
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/lands-end-to-john-ogroats-by-fl....

Okay, so it uses an engine whilst flying but on the ground it's a FWD
delta recumbent trike! *Personally I think the guy in question is ever so
slightly barking (and that's in comparison to other LEJOGers / JOGLErs!)
but kind of cool too!

Is that thing road legal when cycling?
I wonder if it can be classified as a pedal cycle when it has an engine
attached, even if the engine is not being used.

H'mmm... it's sort of like riding a moped without the engine
running... I don't see why it souldn't be. After all if I loaded an
engine into my trailer it would be just another load. The thing that
makes me uncertain is that if the engine is running it would propel
the vehicle, even on the road, and then it almost certainly would not
be street legal.

Secondly, I wonder what the drag is like when he is cycling on road,
especially as he will be mainly on road in windy conditions.

I imagine it would be bloody hard work! I can't see from the photos
with he's got an epicyclic hub on that front wheel (you'd hope so) but
in addition to the weight of the tricycle and all his camping gear
he's also got the engine, the propeller, the safety cage around the
propeller, the canopy and and all the rigging.

That's got to add up to a fair bit of weight!

I also can't help feeling that getting that thing airborne without
someone on the ground to help might be a bit interesting.

Still, it looks fun!

On Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:11:16 -0700 (PDT)
Simon Brooke wrote:

I also can't help feeling that getting that thing airborne without
someone on the ground to help might be a bit interesting.

Run it up to speed and pull the ripcord? :-)
I wonder if he can use the fan to fill the canopy enough that it starts
to catch air when he lets the brakes off.

Response to Rob Morley:

I also can't help feeling that getting that thing airborne without
someone on the ground to help might be a bit interesting.

Run it up to speed and pull the ripcord? :-)
I wonder if he can use the fan to fill the canopy enough that it
starts to catch air when he lets the brakes off.


Videos on http://www.flybike.co.uk/index_bike.htm - be prepared to turn
the volume down unless you like that sort of thing.



--
Mark, UK.

On 4 Aug, 08:22, Rob Morley wrote:
On Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:11:16 -0700 (PDT)

Simon Brooke wrote:
I also can't help feeling that getting that thing airborne without
someone on the ground to help might be a bit interesting.

Run it up to speed and pull the ripcord? *:-)
I wonder if he can use the fan to fill the canopy enough that it starts
to catch air when he lets the brakes off.

H'mmm! From the videos, clearly it isn't as hard as I'd guessed. The
fan gets the canopy up and full remarkably promptly! He's also
obviously pretty confident of his control - going through rugby posts
is a good demonstration. Altogether more practical than I would have
thought.