Excerpt from

Sun 'n Fun Success

If one engine is good, two must be better seemed to be a recurring theme among powered parachute manufacturers this year. Both Para-Ski and Condor Powered Parachutes introduced twin-engine powered parachutes. Is that the ultimate in redundancy, we ask?

Para-Ski's machine is called the Voyager II (or deux, in Canada). Joe Albanese of Para-Ski says the rational for the twin-engine machine is that ultralighters flying two-stroke engines are taught to never fly over hostile terrain-always keep a good landing site in view. By adding the second engine, it offers the pilot more security to possibly fly across a lake or over a forest, which are obviously numerous in Canada where Para-Skis are manufactured, thereby extending the machine's range. The two engines have completely separate systems-instruments, wiring, fuel feed. The only commonality they share is a single gas tank. But the engineers arranged the fuel-flow so that the right engine will run out of fuel first, and the left engine will continue for seven more minutes, giving the pilot ample time to find a landing site. Joe says the company eliminated torque problems in a single-engine situation by putting a rudder behind each prop. This machine also has an angle of attack adjusting system, which means that in-flight the angle of the parachute can he changed to increase or decrease the speed of the machine. With an elliptical chute and two Rotax 447 engines, this machine will cruise at about 50 mph. "We're the Air Cam of powered parachutes," Joe said.