By IANS,
London : The Japanese, who pioneered high speed trains nearly half a century ago, have now conjured up a flying locomotive – straight out of the pages of science fiction.
The levitating locomotive sports wings and propellers and can fly along a track. It has been designed and developed by a research team led by Ysuke Sughara from Tohoku University, Japan, the Daily Mail reports.
The prototype hovers above the ground on an air cushion, which permits the weird vehicle to reach higher speeds than regular trains in the absence of friction and with less energy.
But because of the wings, the airborne locomotive has to deal with pitch, roll and yaw – like all planes – making it very difficult for the bottom of the vehicle to stay parallel with the ground.
Although the prototype has a built-in system that counteracts unwanted movement of the wings and tries to stabilise the three axes of the vehicle, it is still streamlined enough for a smooth ride.
This vehicle is not the first to use the concept of floating above the track. Maglev trains use powerful electromagnets to make the vehicle ride on air.
The levitating locomotive actually takes advantage of the air shooting beneath it and uses it to help forward momentum.