Archaeopteryx Elec’teryx Now Flying

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

The Archaeopteryx is more than just a good word for spelling bees, it’s a high-end hang-glider – and now, depending on your bankroll and perspective, a low-end electric motorglider.  Its low weight (54 kilograms or 118.8 pounds in its most basic state) and high performance (around 25:1 lift-to-drag ratio) has helped this Swiss marvel achieve things like the 498 kilometer (308.76 mile) goal flight by Peter Eicher in Australia last October; or a 407 kilometer (252.34 mile) flight around the Swiss Alps in 2012. A flier can hop off a hill with the lightest and most basic form of Archaeopteryx, which features self-connecting controls, a rocket-deployed full-airplane rescue system, and a wheel brake.   Pilots wanting less local soaring and the option of visiting distant climes can opt for the “Race” model, a fully-faired version with trap doors, a wheel “spat,” and since you’re going to be going places, side and rear luggage bags. Archaeopteryx has now been outfitted with a …