First-Ever Plane Landing On A Moving Train Took Practice With Two Electric Hypercars
Despite military aircraft carriers cruising the world's oceans for over a century, no pilot has ever landed a plane on a moving train before last Sunday. Italian stunt pilot Dario Costa touched down and took off his Zivko Edge 540 from a cargo train in Turkey. The former national aerobatic champion added the accolade to numerous world records and the first-ever flight through a tunnel. However, the Red Bull-backed feat wouldn't have been possible without practice with a pair of electric hypercars.
Considering that the makeshift deck atop the shipping container is a fraction of the size of a carrier deck, it's a significantly more difficult task. There's also no arresting cable to slow the landing airplane. The train had to be traveling at its top operating speed of 74.5 miles per hour down a 1.5-mile stretch of straight track to make the stunt possible. Costa was flying his plane at 54 mph, near stall speed, while aligning the plane for landing. The Italian had to contend with turbulence from the train as he carefully descended. Once Costa touched down, he quickly ascended back into the sky in celebration.
Months of planning and practice went into the stunt attempt. It was crucial considering that Costa couldn't actually see the landing platform. Costa worked with Rimac to organize a three-day test scenario at Pula Airport in Croatia. A Nevera R and a Nevera served as moving reference platforms as Costa practiced the blind landing. The reps included an electric hypercar speeding down the runway in reverse as the plane descended to its roof. Thankfully, practice made perfect and it translated to the actual stunt in Turkey.
The Nevera R is far from the typical aerobatic practice tool. The hypercar's four electric motors put out 2,107 horsepower, allowing the Rimac to have a 1.74-second 0-to-60-mph time. The EV's remarkable acceleration made it ideal for multiple practice runs of constantly launching to the train's speed in reverse. However, there is a massive price difference between the plane and the electric hypercar. A base Nevera R starts at over $2 million, while a Zivko Edge 540 is around $249,000.
