Photo: guymartinracing.co.uk
Conditions on the Flat Salts may have postponed Guy Martin’s record attempt to become the fastest man on a streamlined bike, but he won’t stop at that as his plans are now to be the first man to cross the English Channel in a human-powered airship.
Starting from Kent, over the busiest shipping lane in the world, Guy will be sitting on some sort of flying bicycle suspended beneath a helium ballon as big as a bus. The silver contraption looks like a zeppelin with a bike instead of a nacelle.
The bicycle’s pedals are connected to two propellers, one on each side of the aircraft, which will provide the thrust for the 24-mile run to cross the channel and reach the French shore.
It may take Guy up to eight hours to complete his journey so he will firstly have to learn how to fly the thing indoors at the historic Cardington Hangars in Bedfordshire. There lies the former factory that put out some of the world’s biggest flying machines, so it should provide enough space for practice in a controlled environment.
Another course Martin will follow with a British military fast jet pilot to learn what to do if he has to crash land. That flying bicycle seems flimsy enough as it is.
Earlier on, Guy’s attempt at breaking the current 376.36 mph (605.69 km/h) speed record on a streamlined two-wheeler has suffered a number of setbacks at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Last week, the special Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner tipped over when it passed over a rut, while this week, a damp section of the track made it skid after just one mile into the record attempt.
The 7.7-meter long streamliner didn’t sustain major damages and Guy with his team will be back on it when conditions are better.
The bicycle’s pedals are connected to two propellers, one on each side of the aircraft, which will provide the thrust for the 24-mile run to cross the channel and reach the French shore.
It may take Guy up to eight hours to complete his journey so he will firstly have to learn how to fly the thing indoors at the historic Cardington Hangars in Bedfordshire. There lies the former factory that put out some of the world’s biggest flying machines, so it should provide enough space for practice in a controlled environment.
Another course Martin will follow with a British military fast jet pilot to learn what to do if he has to crash land. That flying bicycle seems flimsy enough as it is.
Earlier on, Guy’s attempt at breaking the current 376.36 mph (605.69 km/h) speed record on a streamlined two-wheeler has suffered a number of setbacks at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Last week, the special Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner tipped over when it passed over a rut, while this week, a damp section of the track made it skid after just one mile into the record attempt.
The 7.7-meter long streamliner didn’t sustain major damages and Guy with his team will be back on it when conditions are better.
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