Grant gives wings to electric aircraft plan
A Victorian Government grant has allowed engineering students at Swinburne to look skyward for a sustainable method of air travel.
The team will collaborate with Melbourne-based company, Aerochute International, to develop and manufacture the Skymaster Pro - a dual seater electric powered parachute.
The next-gen mode of transport will weigh around 130 kilograms and be capable of carrying a payload up to 190 kilograms. The designers say Skymaster Pro will reach speeds of up to 60kph, a maximum of 5000ft at a climbing rate of 350ft per minute. It should run for up to an hour before the batteries need charging.
It will have counter-rotating propellers powered by four 16kw motors, which will run off lithium polymer batteries.
The Skymaster Pro, a far cry from Franz Reichelt’s efforts, is the product of six final year Swinburne Robotics and Mechatronics and Product Design Engineering students - Daniel Espiritu, Damien Chiem, Uriel Navarro, Alex Wocadlo, Clint Waters and Robin Smiley - under the supervision of senior lecturer for Product Design Engineering, Dr Clint Steele as well as Aerochute International's Rex Lee and CEO Stephen Conte.
“The funding means we can now take the concept that we have developed, build it and test it,” Dr Steele said.
“In the process Swinburne will be helping a small high-tech Australian company to progress into the area of flying electric powered vehicles.”
Aerochute International has been producing powered parachutes in Australia for over 20 years, but this will be the first designed with sustainability as a primary element.
The new chute has several safety measures for the eco-friendly aviator; it includes a fully enclosed roll cage, foot protection and circuit breakers to prevent a fire in the case of a battery overload or short circuit.
"Maintenance will be much easier than on a petrol model as there is no need for an oil change, no oil filter and it won't need a tune up," Dr Steele said.
"For commercial operators they will be able to swap the battery packs quickly rather than having to wait for them to be recharged."
A prototype of the Skymaster Pro is expected to be finished early next year and will then undergo thorough testing by Aerochute International.
Those wishing to fly a powered parachute need to have a Recreation Aviation Australia (RAA) group D Power Parachute Licence.