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

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]

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)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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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