Can a paramotor trike have a windshield or monocoque?
Normally, you’d think that would stifle the airflow to the prop, but if the windshield / monocoque could be streamlined appropriately, then maybe it could be fine.
This is a design from Zvezdan Nedeljkovic.
Should an advanced PPG have an advanced-looking trike?
For me even the cage supporting a regular trike starts to defeat the real joy of PPG. I really like that I see nothing in front of me but my knees and the scenery.
What happens when you’re flying quite high, and/or flying in colder weather?
Wouldn’t a windshield out front help you to enjoy the experience more, by saving you from freezing your hands, face, and other extremities?
Maybe.
So far I haven’t flown that high or that long. Even when it’s chilly a ten minute flight can be endured. Others will use heated gloves and full face helmets etc. There’s a guy in Golden BC that has flown in -20C temps.
-20C (or whatever temperature) on the ground will mean a much lower temperature up in the sky, and will be further aggravated by windchill. Removing windchill can make a huge difference overall.
Can a paramotor trike have a windshield or monocoque?
Yes of course. Many regular thermal engine trikes do have windshields.
Need something more fancy?
You can get E-Glider monocoque chassis as well. Get a new one from e.g. from
https://ultralightdesign.cz/ego-trike/
or buy a used one. There is one on sale for 28.000 EUR / 33.000 USD at the moment.
The chassis might work with a non fixed wing as well and I am sure for a few k extra you can get a carbon fiber roof … although that does not make a lot of sense with a paraglider above you.
What happens when you’re flying quite high, and/or flying in colder weather?
You start freezing 
At -5 degrees celsius at 50 km/ will give you a wind chill of around -15 degrees.
I have been PPG flying in that range in the last weeks for up to 2 hours. Most people start freezing fingers and toes first. The throttle hand is the worst. Get battery heated cloth.
A pod harness helps a lot e.g. the GIN Paramotor-Cocoon extension for a regular harness.
And yes, I am missing the windshield of my mountain harness during winter time
although my helmet has a visor.
Nav devices might get in trouble as well when their internal temperature gets too low. My Android device (running XCTrack) complained about “sub zero battery temperature” on the last flight and I had to get my gloves off to get rid of the message.
@sanman just give it a try: get proper training do some PPG flights yourself. That will really help you with regards to the relevance on what could theoretically be done and you might come to the conclusion that simplicity is king (especially in the air).
But that paraglider above you is too far away too directly shield you from windchill.
Have you ever heard of “hot hands”?
They’re cheap chemical packs (containing iron powder, I think) which react with air to produce heat.
Although, when I see how much heat that paramotor engines put out, I wonder why that heat couldn’t be usefully piped over to warm a person’s hands, feet, etc. Perhaps some copper tubing could be used to carry heat from the engine to the hands, etc?
I’ve seen these pods/cocoons - but can how do you foot launch and then get into them? And likewise, how do you get out of them and foot land? It looks like extra gymnastics are required.
And how heavy really is the solid monocoque compared to the flexible pod-cocoon? It looks like the difference is mainly in cost, rather than weight.
I think they where referring more to being able to look at the wing, launch the wing, and everything else that you do with a paramotor wing that a roof could get in the way of.
The problem that many paramotor pilots have found is that your fingers will still get cold along with the backs of your hands. This is why almost every avid winter flyer uses electric gloves as they provide constant and controlled heating to the entire hand and individual fingers.
Ah, I see - so if you had a clear transparent roof, then you could clearly see the wing above you. That pic in my OP seems to show the clear roof, as well as the open & exposed sides which should give your hands & arms plenty of room to control the paramotor. When it comes to launching, people do launch on trikes like the mini-bullet, which do seem to have their roll cage bars above the pilot, yet they seem to still be usable.
Perhaps what’s needed is the clear bubble canopy shape.
Or take a look at what this guy has on his recumbent e-bike:
It’s not fully enclosed, but it looks like it can effectively block an oncoming airstream.
What about what I suggested about somehow drawing off heat from a paramotor engine, perhaps using bendable copper tubing, so that it gets to your hands? That engine is producing plenty of heat, so why not make use of it for your hands? Has anybody ever tried anything like that? Maybe you could have gloves made out of some kind of fine chainmail or metallic mesh, or something that easily conducts heat?
Chainmail vs Metal Weave:
The ability to protect your hands from cuts, abrasion, etc would be an added bonus - like if you took a tumble during a foot launch or foot landing.
Likewise, it’s available for socks too:
Love the look – should be an Ebike.
It is certainly possible, but is it worth it? A streamlined shape will save some energy – but so will slowing down. A streamlined shape will make it easier to fly more quickly – but so will fixed wings and and a more powerful motor. At typical paramotor speeds, the aerodynamics may not justify the weight.