A team of engineering students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has designed, built and flown an electric paraglider that they say is one of the lightest aircrafts in the world capable of taking off and landing with wheels while carrying an adult pilot. The Delta weighs 49 kilograms (kg) and is capable of carrying one person of up to 75 kg at a speed of 36 kilometers per hour under normal wind conditions for 10 minutes on fully charged batteries.

The aircraft was built specifically for the National Geographic Channel’s series “Machine Impossible.” The program’s producers approached NUS with a challenge to build a flying vehicle for their show.

The paraglider attached at the back of the Delta catches the wind when the aircraft moves forward to provide the lift required for takeoff. Image credit: NUS.“The challenge in designing and building the Delta was three-fold: we had to find the lightest airfoil possible, a wing, blade or sail crucial for flight, which we found in a conventional cloth paraglider; we had to find the lightest motors to provide enough thrust for the Delta to be airborne; and we had to build it so that it is light enough to fly yet sturdy enough to be safe,” says Dr. Rangarajan Jegadeesan, a lecturer in the NUS Faculty of Engineering and one of the project's supervisors.

Designed and built over three months in early 2016, the Delta incorporates a chassis with wheels and steering, a seat for the pilot, two electric motors, two propellers and an off-the-shelf paraglider. The NUS team custom-built the aircraft's chassis, which includes a frame made from aluminum with carbon fiber connections. The materials were chosen for their strength-to-weight ratio. Two back wheels are supported by fiberglass-rod suspension, and a front wheel connects to the steering, an inspiration the team drew from tricycles.

The Delta's propulsion is provided by two 8-kilowatt brushless electric motors arranged horizontally behind the pilot. Each drives a 31-inch propeller. Two 14S lithium polymer batteries provide the electricity needed to power the motors. The propellers generate sufficient draft to fully engage the paraglider’s parachute at the back. Once the craft attains a speed of around 30 kilometers per hour, it takes flight.