Alexander Begak’s universal super-light craft is an ‘Evolution’

Russian designer and inventor Alexander Begak loves his aircrafts. He likes them in he air, he likes them on land and he just loves them on the water. So, he designed something that will let him take one big joyride through the fields, onto the lake and into the air across the city and back. Thus the Evolution was born. Made of ultra-light coal-plastic and Kevlar fibers with a sturdy hull made of ultra-strong materials, the super-light aircraft weight only 60 kgs (which is still less than what I weight post-Christmas!) Begak, who is also a trained pilot and parachute jumper, showed the craft at the recent MAKS-2007 air show in Russia and disclosed that the design had undergone over a 100 test with specialists from Russia’s major aviation corporations, such as Roskosmos participating in the research. The Evolution was made after two years of intense research and testing with parts of the craft being produced by Roskosmos, Sukhoi and Moscow Aviation Institute.

Begak, who has developed 15 successful aircraft projects before this, explains the efficiency of the Evolution saying, “this is a universal kind of transportation. It can fly at the height of 4,000 meters above the ground and cover the distance of upto 400 kilometers without additional refueling. Its 30 horsepower motor can reach speeds of 160 km/h in the air and 80 km/h on land. An on-board computer controls pilot’s actions.” Begak also revealed that in case of an emergency in the air, the parachute system of the craft softens the gliding to the ground and during water landing an inflatable emergency device prevents the craft from drowning. What is even more impressive is that the plastic equipment makes it invisible to radars proving to be a handy non-civil aviator as well.