Seagull ESCAPE POD Flies!
By ANN Correspondent John Ballantyne
In 2003 ANN first brought you a report of the Seagull ESCAPE
POD. Then it was only a dream of designer Michael Riggs,
demonstrated through a non-flying mock-up. Now, Mike and Linda
Riggs display two flying examples of the fully enclosed streamlined
trike.
The ESCAPE POD is the ultimate, self-launch trike capable of
soaring flight. The product is a simple, efficient, comfortable,
streamlined pilot enclosure for hang glider wings. Also available
is the unpowered POD RACER for winch or aerotow launch.
The pods are small, light, and efficient. Unlike conventional
trikes, the pilot is fully enclosed in the streamlined pod that has
fully retractable landing gear and internal fuel tank and engine.
The pilot flies in a supine position to ensure extreme comfort
during flight. Weight of the powered version is about 75 pounds
without the wing according to the manufacturer.
Michael Riggs, president of Seagull Aerosports, said, "For the
past four years, I have been designing and engineering what I
believe to be the ultimate trike for both recreational cruising and
soaring. Based on feedback to the prototype, I incorporated design
elements pilots requested. I wanted to end up with a product that
would provide extreme comfort and safety to weight shift pilots as
well as a design unique to the ultralight market."
The trikes are fully composite using foam sandwich construction
of PVC and graphite pre-preg materials. The canopy is molded lexan
with graphite frames
and the control bar passes through a Neoprene covered slot at the
fuselage/canopy joint. For added safety, a Ballistic Recovery
Systems (BRS) rocket-deployed parachute is mounted on the rear of
the main structural bulkhead and fires through a hatch on the
side.
"Response to the PODS has been very good, and I am quite
enthusiastic about their potential," said Riggs. "Many hang gliding
dealers, schools and flight parks are eager to represent them."
Michael Riggs, who returned to the sport aircraft market after
21 years, founded Seagull Aerosports in 1999. Seagull Aerosports
develops a simple, yet sophisticated, line of ultralight aircraft
built with safety, efficiency, economy, pilot visibility,
structural integrity and aesthetics in mind. The company is named
Seagull Aerosports after the founder's original hang glider company
he ran from 1969 until 1978. That company became one of the largest
international manufacturers of hang gliders and accessory
equipment.