'Flying jetski' on show at World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi

The National -- Electric transport such as buses, cars and taxis designed by Masdar City, Tesla, Lexus and Nissan were not the only vehicles on show at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi this week.

One of the more eye-catching designs was the one-man mini seaplane designed by Finnish company FlyNano.

With a top speed of 120kph, and the ability to reach an altitude of 150 metres, the low-flying craft is not for the faint hearted.

Described as a flying jetski by the company’s designer, and expected to retail at about €85,000 (Dh381,600) once the final test flights are completed this year, the craft is being aimed at the motorsport market.

The price is expected to fall once it is mass produced.

“I came up with the design with a friend in 2005,” said the FlyNano’s designer Aki Suokas, a 63-year-old Finn who has dedicated much of his life to design in the aviation industry.

“We tried to come up with the coolest idea of a vehicle that was not already available.

“It is sustainable as it runs on electricity and the battery it uses has been tested over time to be effective.

“It is made for having fun and adventure.”

The FlyNano is like a jetski with wings and takes off and lands on water. It is made from carbon fibre and can fly for about 12 minutes without needing a recharge, that takes about an hour although spare batteries can be easily fitted for longer flights.

The classification falls below all existing aircraft classes in the European Union, so the pilot does not require a pilot’s licence.

Its designer says you can fly it over land, apparently, but it is much safer over water with the user operating joystick and flight control pedals.

“It’s not a good idea to charge it near water, but it is safe to use,” said Mr Suokas.

“It is similar to a seaplane, and is currently going through our flight test programme. It’s a very powerful machine.

“We’ve had a couple of prototypes, but this is very similar to the original design.”