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An expedition that sounds more like a dream than reality is setting off from London to Timbuktu by flying car. The group will make the 3,600-mile journey by land and air in the Parajet Skycar, which is effectively a dune buggy with a fan motor and paragliding wing attached. After taking off from London, the expedition led by Neil Laughton will travel through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mali, and aims to reach Timbuktu on February 20.
The plan is to drive the Skycar where there are roads, and fly over the Straits of Gibraltar, the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and the trackless wastes of the Empty Quarter of the Sahara. A supporting group of experienced adventurers will follow the Skycar on the ground in all-terrain vehicles and motorbikes. The vehicle was designed by engineer Giles Cardozo in just 18 months, and the expedition team say it is the "world's first road legal biofuelled flying car".
The powerful fan propels the car forward and the "ParaWing" can give enough lift to allow the Skycar to take off from any field or airstrip 200m or more in length. Once airborne, the pilot steers by using cables to alter the wing's shape, and should the engine fail, the Skycar will float gently to the ground, the descent slowed by the wing. The Skycar can change from ground to flying mode in just three minutes, can reach altitudes of up to 15,000 feet, and has a normal cruising height of 2,000-3,000ft. On the ground the car has a range of 240 miles, top speed of 108mph and its independent four-wheel suspension means it can cope with the toughest terrain.
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