The second prototype 
The second prototype has been made during may 2005, by the company "Benne" (France next to Castres) in a single exemplary.
35 kilos of stainless steel, the structure is amazing by its dimensions, and its innovating design.
It is a 2 seater buggy, with possibility of taking out one of the seats, and centering the other one for a single-seater configuration.
Seats are equiped with a damping system consisting of a simple block of foam. They are independently adjustable, and offer side
handles.
An "open-source" Crab
With this prototype, we wanted to collect a maximum of advices, from private persons or professionals, to help us better understand practising persons 's needs and expectations (festival, kitesurf school, pro riders, buggy makers, forums).
This approach was really helpfull, and now we have lots of advices to use for the next prototype.
Double-piloting for anybody 
This prototype proved to be the ideal machine for double-piloting.
If its weight seems too high, with a single wing and 2 persons (especially when the wind is light), the 2 wings/2 persons configuration is great.
No need to be a master of kite practising, basics are sufficient to begin. This is, on the contrary, a very good way to progress.
The powerkite professionnals have understood it, and some of them have contacted us to incorporate the crab in their kitesurf instruction.
An innovative anti-ejection system
On this prototype, the seats are too straight, and the low positionning of the steering plate favours the pilot's ejection (that will be corrected for the next prototype). To palliate this defect, we have looked for a safe system to bind the pilot to the buggy. Therefore, we have imagined the "anti-ejection ball", which is really outstanding.
It's a ball, connected to the seat by a soft joint. The pilot puts it between his thighs. As long as he keeps his thighs pressed, he's linked to the crab and so can slip frontwards, or attempt to run on 2 wheels.
If the traction is too violent, the pilot can decide to eject himself, just spreading his thighs. The great advantage of this system is that the pilot is able to decide presicely the moment when he wants to eject himself (better than automatic systems)
To note that this system can also be employed on a classic buggy ...
Technical data
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Assembly/packing :done in 5/10 minutes. 4 bolts allow the assembly of the three main parts, 2 pins for the swing-bar,
and 2 bolts for each seat. Dis-assembled, it fits in a Clio's trunk. (photo: Audi 80 trunk) |
Wheels : Wheel fittings have been designed to fit big-foot wheels.
No need for extra accessory.
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Swing-bar : with adjustable foot-straps. |
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