Page 137 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Transport

How does the CYG-11

fl y and fl oat? change the tide for future travel
This clever new craft could

he travel industry is no stranger to this thanks to clever re-engineering of a small getting to destinations that were previously

vehicles that can multi-task when it propeller plane (which takes care of the fl ying difficult to reach. The floating aspect of the
Tcomes to operating on various terrains side of its duties), enabling the craft to ‘fl oat’ on seaplane works by drawing on the wing-in-
and atmospheres. We’ve previously seen a cushion of air above the sea. ground effect, increasing lift and reducing
amphibious vehicles or even planes that can What this means is that this type of craft drag when an aircraft’s wings are close to the
land or take off on sea, but the CYG-11 craft has offers the opportunity for owners to save on ground. This is done simply by mounting the
gone one step further by being able to either fl y money and space because it means they don’t wings lower down on the fuselage of the

in the air or ‘float’ on the water’s surface. The need to purchase both a boat and a plane for aircraft, enabling the plane to effectively fl oat
Chinese-built CYG-11 ‘seaplane’ is able to do their travels. It also opens up a new way of on a cushion of air.

The CYG-11 craft can reach a top
speed of 250km/h (155mph)

What are airless tyres?

Will Michelin’s new airless tyre design end the fight against fl tyres? Zero-degree belts

at
These belts are
ichelin’s airless tyre design promises to Inside an airless tyre designed to create a
sheer beam, which
put an end to frustrating slow helps to direct the load
M punctures and dangerous high-speed See the features that make the in a consistent path
blow-outs. Their new ‘Tweel’ is a combined wheel Tweel so durable towards the strongest
and tyre assembly in a single, tough unit, part of the tyre.
primarily designed for commercial use in Undertread
A thick undertread means
landscaping, agriculture and construction. If
the core of the tyre can be
successful, the designers hope to implement the retreaded multiple times.
technology in other vehicles.
Solid, air-free tyres have existed for a while but
as they are incredibly hard, the vehicle bounces Open tread
The deep open tread
when travelling over rough terrain. The Michelin design makes the airless
Tweel combats this by compressing when driving tyre easy to clean, as
on rugged roads. Another advantage is that it’s well as providing
much more eco-friendly than current air-fi lled superb traction.
pneumatic tyres, as it is made of a plastic resin
that can be repeatedly recycled. This means these Great
tyres will have very little environmental impact compatibility
even when they are replaced. Each tyre is fi tted Strong spokes
We are many years away from seeing this type with eight-hole steel The tyre’s polyresin
spokes help make the
of wheel design on road cars, but the prospect of hub bolts, allowing ride more comfortable
them to fi t all
flat tyres becoming a thing of the past will excite standard skid-steer by reducing the amount

all motorists. machines. of bounce when driving.
How It Works 137