If you want to have a go at piloting a plane but can’t be bothered to sit through flying lessons (or your flying license has been suspended) there is a way for you to be in the driver’s seat in midair. A Finnish aeronautical engineer, Aki Suokas, recently launched a new single-seat aircraft called the FlyNano this week at Aero Friedrichshafen. The extremely lightweight vehicle is made entirely of carbon fiber and takes off and lands on water. Since it is so light, the FlyNano falls under the weight of what is considered to be a plane, so in most countries you won’t need a flying license to take this baby to the skies.
It has a wingspan of nearly 5 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of 440lbs (200kg) and goes up to speeds of 86mph (140km/h). The FlyNano comes in three variants – a 20kW electric-only version, and two petrol engine types – 24bhp and 35bhp. With the most expensive version costing $39,000 (EUR 27,000), it’s not going to be a toy for just anybody, but if you’d like to take to the skies and you’ve got the money, why not? The FlyNano is available for pre-order now and will start shipping three months from now. Official FlyNano page.