Just caught wind of this new ultralight from Seagull Aerosports, unveiled at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh back in July. Basically, you buy the cockpit (or “pod” as the manufacturer calls them) and attach wings from a standard hang glider. The pods come in two versions, the Escape Pod and the Pod Racer. The primary difference between the two is that the Pod Racer has no motor—it seems like a heavily reconfigured hang glider, and obviously it can’t take off without assistance. The Escape Pod, however, comes with a 25 horsepower motor and three-blade propeller, making it a true self-contained ultralight—at a mere 75 pounds including motor, the name ultralight might be an understatement when you consider that most ultralights weigh in between two and three hundred pounds. The web site doesn’t specify a price and the company didn’t immediately respond to my email, but I’d guess the Escape Pod can be had for well under $5,000.
Seagull Aerosports [FlySeagull]
