Plane Driven's "Roadable" Glasair

The PD-1 combines a modified Glasair Sportsman with a road-worthy trike undercarriage driven by a separate engine; it has flown and is expected to arrive this week at AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, according to its developers. The design combines the Sportsman GS-2 with a kit that incorporates an auxiliary external drive pod below the aircraft, between to large wheels and behind an oversized nose-wheel. Plane Driven says the drive's location maintains the aircraft's original center of gravity. A streamlined pod helps minimize the aerodynamic impact of carrying one inert engine in flight. That engine is an 80-horsepower, 4-cycle, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled powerplant fueled by a separate gas tank. It's attached to an automatic transmission with a reverse gear. The weight of the kit is yet to be announced and it's not clear if the prototype vehicle is currently street legal. The vehicle's developers say that, as of July 21, the Plane Driven prototype has flown, and they've offered proof.