So I know that they have 3(trike) and 4 wheel(quad) paramotors. I think it would be really cool to have a trike version where there’s 2 wheels put on the bottom stand. Then one new leg introduced to have a kart version of this super portable system. I know 2 - 5 people that would buy on of these electric trikes right now. What do you guys think?
I have a friend who flys trikes in NZ. I think a point here is he didn’t start with trikes, he had to switch to trikes because as he’s approaching his “60s (like me) he found the dead weight of a gas PPG too much to run with. The reason I took up powered hang gliding in preference to PPG is because my wife couldn’t carry the weight of a PPG and on FLPHG you only need to carry the weight of the glider, the motor trundles along as the back of the harness on a couple of wheeled legs. Now @Pdwhite et al has got the pack weight down to 10kg… Ten Kilos! So here’s the thing: My granny could carry that! Why do we need a trike?
Quick edit: on re-reading my post it could pose a question like “why are you flying FLPHG when it’s your wife that can’t carry a 30kg motor on her back? Does this bastard make her carry his kit”? No. Kaye is a pilot. She has a paragliding licence too, as well as hang glider, light sports aircraft and gyroplanes 
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I am looking to build a trike now
Last year when trying to launch I struggled with the weight on my back. I could kite with a training harness very well but once that weight was on my back it through my balance off. It also exhausted me much faster then I had thought it would.
At 53 I am not in bad shape but not in great shape - but to put that motor on in a training scenario with the hot sun beating down on you - it sucks the life out of you fast. And I apologize to all the folks I criticized for looking tired after a couple failed launches.
Did not get in the air last year!!!
So a trike it is – 4 wheels is good for me. I will make a quad for my Kangook ICEr and mod it later for the new ebuild - or just sell it with the old motor and then build a new quad to match the new E-rig better.
Cheers, Patrick
Hi @E-pusher, don’t forget, a trike is heavier and will most likely require a larger launch site, than if you were just foot launching.
When I had PPG training, the instructor did with us a few hours of kiting on the ground with a freeflyer harness. Once we got the hang of it, we had to do the same again with the heavy paramotor.
I tell you, that was extremely exhausting.
But once you get the hang of it, you don’t have to carry the paramotor for very long:
Get your wing out and lay it out as usual, get the Paramotor on your back, attach the wing to the harness, and launch!
As soon as you start running, the wing will start to produce lift and, and pull up the motor, a few more steps and you’re taking off as well, hanging inside the harness before you lift your feet and get to sit in the harness.
Plus, this OpenPPG electric paramotor isn’t very heavy (unless you add tons of batteries to it).
Do some jogging, maybe some pushups, pull ups and situps every once in a while (twice a week) and you’re good to go! (also, you’ll feel better, too). 
Yes thx - aware of all, did all that in training last year
I can jog for an hour - I can do 40 push ups in one set - I can make love to my wife for… sorry that ones not a good example!
In a training harness I can run/control the wing across a field, I can stop do 180, turn again and run again - reverse launch and control, I control the wing with the training harness very well.
But once that motor is on my back I lose much of my balance and control. And I know smaller less physical people do this - cant explain it.
Our training area was not the best for students - not trying to make excuses but very restricted on two sides. Hangers on one and a crop field on other so if you had to take off in those directions due to wind it was very short launch path – and a trike will not help with that if more distance is needed - the other 2 directions all the run way you need, but we found the wind changing too much.
I think for students you need lots of room and not having to worry about what you are going to hit if your not doing something correct and cant take off which was a lot of times with our group of 3 last year. One guy got up once on his trike and he just cleared the crops.
Cheers, Patrick
Paul – Will the lower part to the frame support the weight of a trike - 30 to 50 lbs - if aluminum runners were sandwiched into space from rear front and then bolted down into the trike frame.
Cheers, Patrick
I’m not 100%, and we do need to do full thrust measurements, but I’m not sure if you’ll get the thrust you need to get a trike off the ground. I’m a light pilot and there have been a few times I’ve really wished I could get more power out of this puppy…
Thx – based on the numbers given - this will have 20lbs more thrust than my Pa125 with the wood prop.
I do want to add a large battery pack - so that is where my main concern is is about extra weight
Is there a slightly larger ESC and motor spec available for this?
Cheers, Patrick
We have done a trike version before, here’s a vid Demo - YouTube . Thrust isn’t the problem with trikes its usually just the weight of the trike frame (flypod is 80lbs just by it’s self with no motor). So the extra weight and it not being easy to transport is no fun.
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ok, great news, thrust is good - so with a trike around 35 lbs and a battery around 45 - we should be good. The transportation issue is not too bad if you make them so the motor is easily detached and the trike breaks down easily, which we are now seeing more of these days.
So back to my original thought on if the O-ppg can take the weight on the lower legs. It has to take the weight of the trike hanging and then the landing force of the pilot sitting weight, I see some trikes that have supports under the seat so the trike frame takes that force at landing from the pilot.
Cheers, Patrick
Took a kiting lesson last Friday, with really great pilot and trainer. This is what I learned. The winds were 13-16 and gusting. He hooked me into a harness and showed me the method of reverse launch hand positioning and turn around. It is hard to get used to reverse control. He let out the trimmers about 2" to reduce the possibility of pull ups. At 79 years, it soon became apparent that PPG foot launching is a sport for young pilots. I wore a bicycle helmet just in case. After building a few walls by tickling the A’s, and getting it up about 30*, the strong winds and being winded ended that part of the lesson. Whew! That was a workout. Next he hung a Top 80 on my back to see how it felt. At a light weight of 45 lb, it felt too heavy for me to run with it. Good lesson learned. Next, he allowed me to drive his 33 hp Fresh Breeze trike around the field. Lot’s of power, even when it went into a low point shallow ditch. It blew me out of it with power to spare. My plan is to go trike or quad with a 30 wing and an enclosed tiny trailer. Transport issue evaporates, roll on, roll off and store wing in trailer. I believe that a 20 lb trike is doable.
http://xcmag.com/news/fly-products-release-lightweight-foxy-ppg-trike/
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That Foxy is a nice piece a kit - but diy stuff never comes out as lite as we hope,
Paramotor Central has axles and ends that I got for my builds
:Lhttps://paramotorcentral.com/product/axles/
Cheers, Patrick
Hi E-pusher did not see the diameter of the fibre glass rod listed do you happen to know what it is please ,Cheers
From memory 1", but I double checked.
Cheers, Patrick
thanks Patrick ,I’m looking to build a Trike based on the liteflyer design , seems simple enough but not gotten hold of the plans yet so a lot of it is reverse engineering from pics and such, I have drawn up a rough draft on CAD so as and when each new bit of info surfaces I fill in the blanks as it were that 1" dim seems about right so next will be the aircraft grade Ali tubing to suit , Cheers Patrick
Thats it – these things on average are simple builds and they charge a fortune for them, good money makers for them, cant fault them for that.
I just know I am not paying 900$ for 100 dollars worth of material and 2hrs labor when I know can do it myself… mine may not look all that pretty but it will be just as functional!
Cheers, Patrick
Hi Patrick LOL a man after my own heart, being a machinist earlier in my carirer means mechanical build is not a problem for me and over the years the bits have been accumulated so just need to spend some time on E-- blay and order the bits , was very pleasantly suppressed when I compared my sketches to the actual plans for that Trike, and had a wee wry smile ( the I still got it feel ) cos barring a few minor issue I was pretty dam close now that I have a chance to compare it to the original plans … if you guys are interested I can point you to the forum where I found these plans … the mechanics are cheap , it 's the dam WHEELEZE’s that are expense but over all a light weight trike can be made, and if alternate wheels are trialled then the cost is easily below 300 Uk Pounds ( my Guesstimate need more e-blay rummaging ) …this will be my Winter project I came across the project during my net wanderings so these are not my plans but they do show a very good DIY cost effective lightweight trike project built with minimal tooling .
Never hurts to see a set of plans - post the link, thx
Hiya the plans are here I think posted on the 3rd or 4th pages
could not open them at 1st but as im a member I tried through the route and lo and behold I was able to get the plans download option —sorted
have a look see and I think youll agree it wont get any easier to replicate this option ,Cheers
Very nice and simple( almost no welding )
Cheers, Patrick
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