The flying machine has been a long term project and dream of mine. The idea of creating a craft that anyone can fly low and slow has been a passionate desire since flying hang gliders back in the day.
Together with my friend, co-designer and fellow dreamer Richard McAdam we set off on a mission to build a one person petrol powered aerostat, we now call “The Flying Machine.“
The initial goal was to build a safe flying craft that anyone could climb on and fly easily, without having to go through any long term flight training, as is required with other forms of flight.
After prototyping and test flying different types of balloon envelope fabrics, super tough welds, bouncy landing gears, balloon jumping systems, high tech tethers, pressure release valves, spindles, three axis control mechanisms, test flying and more test flying ,the Flying Machine eventually got to the point of safe free flight.
Untethered Flight Test Bouncy Landing Test
Now Anyone Can Fly!
The Flying Machine is a powered aerostat filled with safe helium gas and balanced for the aeronaut’s weight, ensuring that the craft is always just heavier than air, this ensures that the craft is always coming down to the ground and the use of the propeller thrust sends the air down past the tail vector fin which counteracts gravity and so you fly.
The Flying Machine is tethered to the ground using high tech equipment and offers the aeronaut the sensational feeling of flying whilst being safely connected to mother earth, learning to fly slowly, only a meter or so from the ground.
The Flying Machine is completely manoeuvrable in all directions and is a joy to fly as demonstrated in the videos.
You do not need to be going fast or high to enjoy the exhilarating experience of flying.
Flying is extreme fun! Even when you are only flying --- low and slow.
It has been amazing fun developing and flying this contraption and I am looking forward to developing and flying our next prototype.
As Dennis the menace said “I’ve never had so much fun as I’m going to have tomorrow! “
