The TAS vehicle system may best be described as an enclosed two wheel flying motorcycle, in a canard aircraft configuration, with retractable outriggers (like bicycle training wheels) for balance when standing still and moving at slow speeds on the ground. For highway operations, it is propelled by a standard motorcycle power drive train. A separate aircraft engine provides the power required for flight.

Because of the visibility requirements of highway operation, the propeller should be a pusher type so that it is in the back of the vehicle, removed from the operator’s field of view. The canard configuration was eventually chosen through a process of elimination.

Existing large motorcycle engines and drive trains will be utilized. The aircraft engine will be comparable to, if not, an O-360. Lower powered aircraft engines are a possibility, but come with a corresponding reduction in performance. It will have a three blade 66 inch prop with exact specifications remaining to be determined.

The vehicle is designed to transport two adults in a tandem seating arrangement. The optional passenger (adult or child) sits in the rear. Two passenger seating capacity was selected because most automobiles, while generally designed to carry at least four passengers, usually have no more than two people onboard on average. Creating structure and increasing power to accommodate four passengers would therefore be excessive, and not a good design approach for keeping costs down in an initial roadable aircraft design.

For surface operations, the canard and main wings are removed. They may be left behind at the airport FBO, or they may be towed if so desired.

Detachable wings, rather than folding wings, were selected because they are simpler, lighter, and less costly to produce when compared to folding type wings. Further, folded wings pose aerodynamic flow and center of gravity related weight problems which would adversely affect the stability and control of the motorcycle when in ground mode operations.

A two wheel configuration was chosen rather than the three or four wheel options, because once again, two wheels are simpler, less weight, and less costly to produce than three or four wheels. By keeping this and other subsystems as rudimentary as possible, we are able to provide a complete multi-modal vehicle system which is both practical to use and reasonably priced. An added cost benefit to owning a roadable aircraft for many prospective buyers is that ownership of a multi-modal vehicle eliminates the need and cost of their highway only automobile. With the flying motorcycle you don’t have to own two different vehicles in order to fly; a savings that no other aircraft manufacturer can claim.

REPLACE YOUR CAR AND AIRPLANE WITH A TAS-102 FLYING MOTORCYCLE™.