Last April, we told you about the FlyNano – a single-occupant petrol/electric microlight amphibious aircraft being developed by a Finnish aeronautical firm of the same name. At the time, some readers expressed skepticism, rightly pointing out that there was no video of the plane actually flying. That changed this week, however, as the company posted a video of one of the prototype’s first test flights.
The flight in the video reportedly took place this Monday at 8:09pm, at Finland’s Lake Hepari. There’s currently no information posted about how long the flight lasted or what altitude was reached – we’ve contacted FlyNano for details, and are still waiting for a response.
When we last reported on the aircraft, deliveries were expected to start around July of last year. The company has now moved that date up to the end of 2013, and has apparently already presold 35 planes – they are priced at approximately €27,000 (US$34,164).
Additionally, FlyNano has stated that thanks to advances in batteries and electric motors, the carbon fiber-bodied aircraft will now be primarily electric – originally, both combustion and electric models were planned.
The video can be viewed below.
Source: FlyNano via CAFE Foundation
