ABS Aerolight Navigathor

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]

Navigathor
Role Powered parachute and roadable aircraft
National origin France
Manufacturer ABS Aerolight
Status Production completed

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)
gollark: Which pagan gods?
gollark: oh no
gollark: * LOL out loud
gollark: Hmm, that sounds useful.
gollark: It would really have made more sense for them to design the whole thing in a sane way in the first place.

References
  1. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 78. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. ABS Aerolight (18 May 2015). "Domain for sale". Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  3. "Archives of www.absaerolight.com". Archive.org. 16 December 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2001. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
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