The rider sits above the engine, which is located under the seat. The power plant is connected to three blowers instead of wheels.
Lift is generated by those units pushing air down into a rubber airskirt and increasing air pressure, allowing the Tripogryph to travel over land, mud, ice, water, and other forms of terrain.
Forward motion is provided by the two micro-turbine engines on the front legs, which push air backwards. In production form, those same engines would be able to change the travel direction of the Tripogryph by pivoting left and right.
The driver is able to do the same thing by turning the handlebars. Bombardier stated, “Electric actuators located in the airskirt lift a small section of the skirt to tilt the vehicle and slide it in the desired direction. These actuators also work continuously to maintain the vehicle in a precise spot when you want it to stay that way.”
Sure, this is millions of miles from coming out as a real-world vehicle, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see something like it in a future sci-fi movie.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
