The Maverick LSA been compared to the Jetsons’ flying car, but its roots are firmly planted in the church.
Built in Florida, it’s a powered parachute aircraft, or paraplane, with a drivable dune buggy-style fuselage that can do 40 mph in the air and about 100 mph on the ground, where its 2.5-liter flat-four Subaru engine can propel it from 0 to 60 mph in a sports car-like four seconds.
Developed by the Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center (I-TEC), a Christian missionary group, it aims to “provide tools and technologies to God-followers in frontier areas to meet their needs.”
I-TEC uses technology and training to help churches in undeveloped regions. Members sponsor projects like I-DENT, which provides portable dental equipment around the world, and I-SEE, which teaches ministries how to treat common eyesight problems.
The Maverick LSA is part of the group’s I-FLY project. It will help people transport materials both on and beyond the road, Jaime Saint of I-TEC told FoxNews.com.
“When there is a snakebite or need for medicine, a four- or eight-hour hike might cause the treatment to arrive too late, while a four- to eight-minute flight can save a life,” Saint said. “There are many places in the world where either the roads are not dependable or that are beyond roads. This is the environment for which the Maverick was developed.”
The vehicle took nine years to develop and was designed for use by non-professional flyers with a sport pilot’s license in the U.S. The organization now plans to take the technology around the world.
“We are in the process of training a member of our team from Ecuador so that he can take a Maverick to Ecuador for field testing in multiple environments,” Saint said. “We also have plans to get the Maverick into Africa and Southeast Asia.”
Saint’s family is well known for its missionary work. His grandfather, Nate, was a missionary pilot who was killed by Ecuadorean tribesmen when Jaime’s father, Steve, was just 5-years-old. Steve has since dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel through I-TEC.
But while the Maverick was built with a serious purpose in mind, the Maverick is also up for sale to those looking for a unique, uplifting adventure. The price for playing George Jetson? $94,000.
Also in the air: Production-ready Aeromobil flying car to debut soon