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Old 07-14-2013, 02:07 PM   #299 (permalink)
visionary
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Hi Frank, well we chatted for about an hour in total and Andy is a very open character so there was a great deal to absorb, but I can relay some simple elements of the conversation.

What struck me most was the issue of steering control. I don't know about you, but I had imagined that all the hype about training before being "qualified" to control the machine was just that - "hype". I would have been keen to give-it-a-go without any reservations before trying it for size. However, once seated in it I realised what an intimidating machine it is. Andy explains that transition between "car steering" with the wheels down and counter-steering with them up takes practice to master, and its a skill that needs to be kept up-to-date. Some owners who don't use their machines regularly can loose their confidence and require re-training.

There are also some unsettling aerodynamic effects which really do make it feel like flying, but overall while it can be mastered, the vehicle is not naturally intuitive to control.

The ergonomics are poor and take familiarity to get comfortable with, Andy explained some idiosyncrasies which he has become accustomed to but would have preferred good solutions, like wheel-down speed control and screen demisting can be a problem as it wasn't fully solved. Andy's eco is an early example and I suspect that the new Monotracer version must be better in this respect.

In summary, while he acknowledges the great achievements of this vehicle he feels that it does not represent a mass-market solution to the transport niche and it probably will remain a rare, expensive, milestone.
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