Flying car team on road to Timbuktu

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The group, led by ex-SAS man Neil Laughton, will make the 3,600-mile journey by land and air in the one-man Parajet Skycar, effectively a dune buggy with a fan motor and paragliding wing attached.

The Skycar and support team - including a 16-wheel lorry, several heavy-duty all-terrain 4x4s, four off-road motorbikes and a TV crew - began their epic journey in London's Knightsbridge.

The expedition will travel through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mali, and aims to reach Timbuktu on February 20.

The plan is to drive the Skycar where there are roads, and fly over the Straits of Gibraltar, the Atlas mountains in Morocco and the trackless wastes of the Empty Quarter of the Sahara.

The vehicle was designed by engineer Giles Cardozo in just 18 months, and the expedition team say it is the "world's first road legal biofuelled flying car".

The powerful fan propels the car forward and the "ParaWing" can give enough lift to allow the Skycar to take off from any field or airstrip 200m (656ft) or more in length.

Once airborne, Mr Laughton will steer by using cables to alter the wing's shape, and should the engine fail, the Skycar would float gently to the ground, the descent slowed by the wing.

The Skycar can change from ground to flying mode in just three minutes, can reach altitudes of up to 15,000ft, and has a normal cruising height of 2,000-3,000ft. On the ground the car has a range of 240 miles, top speed of 108mph and independent four-wheel suspension means it can cope with the toughest terrain.

Mr Laughton, 45, who lives in West Sussex, said he was particularly looking forward to visiting villages in West Africa. Speaking prior to the departure, he said: "I just can't wait to see their faces when we fly in and start playing football with them. I don't think they will be able to believe somebody in a flying car has just visited them."