Had a chance to check out the Projekt Atos Wing while stopping off
at A-I-R. The prototype has now clocked up a lot of flights and apparently is
about the easiest aircraft to fly you can imagine! The spoileron control means
you get perfectly co-ordinated turns without needing to learn good hand/foot
co-ordination (the rudder is only really there for crosswind take-off/landing).
It's very stable and can take-off and land at more like hang glider rather than
sailplane kind of speeds.
The wings fold back next to the fuselage for trailering it, nothing needs
disconnecting and packing so rigging takes about as long as pulling a paraglider
out a bag.
Take-off run with the electric power unit is about 40m, it climbs rapidly and
has airbrakes and flaps so can be used from small fields. Glide ratio is 28:1,
the electric power pack gives 4 hours endurance, cruise speed is 80-120kph so
it'll go 300km on electric power alone.
Weight including electric power pack and ballistic parachute is less than 120kg,
so unfortunately you would need an NPPL to fly one in the UK. A tow launch
version without the electric power would be sub-70kg though.
The production version's shape will be slightly refined and smoothed compared to
this prototype and feature a lower canopy line giving even better visibility.
The plan is to complete the development and start accepting orders this year
with the first ones being delivered to customers in early 2020. You can see a
video of Felix making a test flight on Christmas eve here: https://youtu.be/O8lBpVfIGX0.
