http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flphg/

Last weekend at the yearly DHV FreeFlight (Hang- and paraglider) meeting in Germany (Garmisch Partenkirchen) flight demos were performed with an electric powered paraglider and a hang glider!! Also noise measurements were done.

The electric engine is developed by a German, Dr. Ing. Werner Eck. (email: <email>) It is built into a paramotor setup and a FLPHG called the E-Lift (built by Toni Roth) und 1 Flexi von Martin Nietlispach) You can download the videos from: http://www.dhv.de/typo/Elektroantriebe_f_r.4796.0.html The video is in German but it says that the noise level was average 58 dB(a).

The first 10 engine units have been sold already. There is a discussion about a new flying class: "Electro start".

The unit is only to get up in the air as a start aid. If you don't succeed to find lift you have another one or two tries from about 100m. It has a thrust of 60kg however which is about 10kg more than a standard FLPHG. Take off seems much easier than with a petrol. All in all very interesting.

Thanks to Paul Olson