The Electric ParamotorA New Option For Cruising Or Launching Into ThermalsIt had to happen eventually. Several practical electric paramotor designs now exist. The first of these was developed by Csaba Lemak and Patrick MacKenzie who managed to beat the considerable technical odds against them. They eventually got the weight down and the power up to make this type of flying a reality, beyond the 'proof of concept' stage. I've seen electric radio controlled models fly, and they perform similarly to the much noisier 2-strokes. It might not come as a surprise then to learn that the Lemak electric paramotor is basically a model aircraft motor on steroids! Apparently the Lemak prototype was powered by 112 Lithium Polymer batteries and a custom wound three phase motor weighing 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs). Although the very first electric paramotor to fly kept the wing in the air for less than 4 minutes, durations have now increased to around the 40 minute mark. As at March 2008. Somewhere around the middle of this year, several companies will be attempting to bring out commercial versions of their prototypes. We'll all be hearing a lot more about them then! Currently, there are 8 teams spread through Canada, China, France, Germany, The Netherlands and the U.K. all trying to push the limits of electric paramotor technology. The design goals do vary somewhat. For example, it's not always about maximum duration. Other teams have tried and failed, since there is no big organization throwing money at these aviation pioneers. Sounds a bit like the very earliest aviation pioneers doesn't it... An Electric PPG VideoThe above is a typical video, from the few that are currently floating around on the Web.... Errm, no pun intended! Most of the videos show gentle low-level flying. One shows Csaba himself talking at length about his prototype. There's a great take-off sequence in the above video, plus a low level fly-past featuring a short conversation between the pilot and an observer on the ground. With no radio assistance, mind you! Electric paramotoring isn't a totally silent affair. Have a listen to the prop noise during the fly-past! This video also displays an interesting statistic. The energy cost of flying in this manner, in North America, is about 28 cents per hour. Also, this wing/motor combination can stay in the air for about 45 minutes with no thermal or slope lift assistance. Some Electric Paramotoring HighlightsHere's just a little more detail on 3 of the development efforts, 2 of which I have mentioned already. The effort led by Csaba Lemak is not the only one to achieve great things. There are other notable achievements in the race to make personal electric flying machines viable. Milestone: The very first electric paramotor flight Milestone: The first practical electric paraglider demonstrated Milestone: The first electric paraglider to make launching into thermals practical (best height gain approx. 450 meters - 1500 feet) Batteries For Electric ParamotoringBattery technology is very important to the overall performance of any electric vehicle, particularly one that is supposed to fly! It's all about power to weight ratio, and how long the unit can keep delivering energy before it needs a re-charge. Here's the general sequence of batteries used over the years since the first electric powered paraglider flew...
LiPo batteries are more volatile than Lithium Ion, but apparently careful design of the controllers can make them very safe for aviation use. These batteries are also more expensive than Lithium Ion. The faithful old NiCads have been left in the dust! But Wait, There's More...Much more, and right up-to-date. There is one website that is entirely devoted to the emerging electric powered paragliding scene. If you are very interested in keeping up with the latest developments, this is the place to go. The webmaster is also a co-author of a well known powered paragliding book... Powered Paragliding Bible. I wonder how long it will be before this book gets re-published with new chapters on The Electric Paramotor and Electric Powered Paragliding!
Last updated: 11 Mar 2008 Return to Power Paragliding from The Electric Paramotor
|
This is one of a couple of good books that people are using before and during taking up powered paragliding. It's great if you want a really complete reference book about the sport. Authored by Jeff Goin and Dennis Pagen and published in April 2006.