On the 4 of March 2017, I finally managed to test the paratrike Dreamfighter. I decided to do it outside the city. There is a large field where we sometimes fly with paramotor. The place was chosen perfect. Warm sun shining, dry last year’s grass was cut short and, therefore, the rise could be carried out without problems. My friends Andrew and Gatis helped me prepare for the start. I jumped in and started the trike.

Wing came out crooked and little props with wheels, which I prudently set on the sides paratrike, showed themselves very well. Wing immediately overturned trike, only the backup would not let him turn over, first in one direction and then in another. The second start failed due to the fact that it was not possible to withdraw the wing. Motor power was not enough. I replaced the propeller with another having thicker profile. It added a little more power. It should be mentioned that my experience of flying on paratrike was zero. I’ve flown on different paramotors, I’ve built a 2 backpack paramotors and flew with them, but I had not any experience with the paratrike and especially with the engine in the front! So start proved to be problematic.

The third attempt was successful. Wing came out as expected, low mileage and trike soared into the air. The feeling of delight, the unit stable, it will not pull, he is not shaken strongly and torque from the propeller seems to be there is not much. I decided to turn to the left, at first machine seemed to began to turn, but in general it was not easy to turn. The brakes were pretty low decoupled and hands did not give me the opportunity to change something inside the cab, yet the brakes should have been enough, but the wing demolition wind to the left, the unit unwrapped nose and right wing of the brakes is not heard, it only swayed above my head. I was very sorry that did not set the tail on the trike.

In short, the trike did not listen the brakes. I removed the gas, trike nose pecked, craving gone, I pulled the toggle right, the unit turned slightly to the right. The land was already close. I had to give power again. Wing again begun to pull to the left and the trike deployed to the right. It seemed that the aerodynamic shape of the front propeller and the trike made structure is very stable on the course, but to reject it in the direction it was unreal. The idea to make a circle and sit in the same place where took off, was rejected because of the inability to manage the trike. Then for the field I could see the farm and the trees, and I decided to sit down. Cleaned gas, unfold the left toggle trike against the wind and plunk down on the sodden spring field. As a result, my first nosing. And in a simple way – forward somersault on his head. Seat belts have kept me inside. The arc above my head took over the entire stroke. In general trike was not injured. Being upside down in the vehicle, I quickly disconnected from the belts, the speed of my movements gave the fact that gasoline flooded my pants. In general, in a second I got out from under the machine. I put it on the chassis and the engine turned off. From injuries – a broken propeller and cracks on the body of the machine.

From this first test flight I have made the following conclusions:

1. trike needs tail
2. it needs more powerful motor
3. trike was not controlled because of the large sail area and crosswind rejected him aside plus the torque of the screw. All this has made trike bad controlled
4. stand with wheels on each side in front of and even spoil the view, but is a very useful thing. Checked!

I had a camera on the helmet and I was filmed from the ground. After reviewing the video it seems that the device is quite manageable, but it is not. Perhaps it was necessary to climb and there is experimenting, but having sufficient experience paramotor flight, I immediately felt that the management is complicated and the unit with the wing live separate lives. Wing I used – Mac Para Muse 28m². Trike weight 58 kg, with driver and fuel about 130 kg. Motor Polini Thor 130.

P.S. It is necessary to completely redesign the concept, set the tail, put a more powerful engine, the unit may be blown in the wind tunnel. Flight on the paratrike with front engine gives me the feeling that I want to achieve and I believe that such an apparatus can be made reliable and fast.