Tue, Aug 26, 2003
Seagull Escape POD (Mock-up) Unveiled
By ANN Correspondent John Ballantyne
Yet another hang glider/ultralight pioneer has returned to the
industry with an innovative new offering. Michael Riggs, President
of Seagull Aerosports, debuted the Seagull Escape POD at EAA Air
Venture. Billed as "The POD," Mike and Linda Riggs displayed a
mock-up concept of the fully enclosed streamlined trike. It will
come both powered and unpowered (to be aerotowed).
Unlike conventional trikes, the pilot is fully enclosed in the
streamlined pod that has fully retractable landing gear and
internal fuel tank and engine. The pilot flies in a supine
position. Weight of the powered version is expected to be about 75
total pounds without the wing or fuel.
Mike says, "For the past three years, I have been designing and
engineering what I believe to be the ultimate trike for both
recreation, cruising and soaring. I wanted to develop a product
that would provide extreme comfort and safety to weight shift
pilots."
The company reports that PODS are a composite foam sandwich of
PVC and graphite prepreg materials. It is vacuum bag molded and
over cured with filament wound graphite landing gear legs. The
control bar passes through Neoprene covered slots at the
fuselage/canopy joints. Power comes from a 25 horsepower CORS-AIR
M-21Y and Powerfin three-bladed propeller. Any hang glider wing
that will accommodate the required hook-in weight may be used. An
existing (yet to be named) hang glider dealer network will sell
PODS.
Seagull Aerosports has returned to the sport aircraft market
after 21 years. The company is named Seagull Aerosports after his
original hang glider company which was in operation from 1969 until
1978.
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