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They say necessity is the mother of invention. So when Don Phipps purchased
a powered parachute he found that he needed away of transporting it to
and from the airport. He also needed somewhere to safely store the unit
when he wasn't flying. Don decided that he would need an enclosed
trailer to protect his chute from the elements. So he set out to design
and build a purpose built, light weight, aerodynamically efficient,
enclosed trailer that could be pulled by a small car, light weight truck
or SUV.
The single axle trailer is equipped with 12 inch highway tires, and
uses a 2200 lbs. torsion bar suspension system, set at a higher angle
which provides for less drag when towing.
The unit comes with corner jacks that keep the trailer stable when it
is disconnected from the tow vehicle. These swivel up and out of the way
for trailering. The PPCXLT uses LED lights so they never have to be
replaced.
Since the trailer was built to carry a powered parachute, which has a
fuel tank on it, the unit comes with three built in air vents which
ventilate gas fumes etc.
The rear spring loaded door
folds down into a 84" ramp for easy loading and unloading. The ramp is
all aluminum, insulated, and comes with a transport truck style over center
dual locking mechanism which is horizontally located on the center of
the door.
Once the owner has his PPC inside the trailer it can be easily
fastened to the trailer via a set of adjustable tie downs, and an
automatic nose wheel locking stand. Putting a PPC into the trailer or
taking it out is a one man operation.
Another unique feature is that the trailer has a plug that can be
connected to a power AC source which provides power to inside the
trailer, allowing it to be used for repairs, hooking up a battery
trickle charger or as a camping unit when at an airshow.
Don indicates that they are currently working on an electric winch
system. With this system the customer will simply hook a cable onto the
chute and push a button and the trailer will winch the PPC into the
trailer, which would be ideal for older or physically challenged
individuals. |
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