Atomic Duck Logo I mentioned a development kit in passing in last week’s post (Parts Database) alongside prototyping. I want to get the chassis designs out and available to anyone who is interested in an early build. If you’d like to use Atomic Duck as as basis for your own vehicle, or want to get started building straight away, the development kit (or building from the part drawings) might be for you.

What is it?

The development kit will be almost identical to my prototype builds. Once the prototype kit is cut and checked for fitment, the pre-ordered development kits will be cut, packed and shipped. This means that any critical changes will be made before the development kits go out.

What will be included?

Everything except the wheels to make a rolling chassis, specifically (all unassembled):

  • Chassis

  • Crank mount and adjustment

  • Front Axle and Uprights

  • Steering Wheel and mounting assembly

  • Seat frame and adjustment

What is still required to make it a full vehicle?

Because I still want to do some refinement to the powertrain layout and body construction, these aren’t included. All you need to make the development kit a rolling chassis will be three wheels. To make a full HPV, you will also need the following:

  • Brakes: disk front, coaster brake hub or hub brake rear

  • Drvetrain: The rear hanger is wide enough to take the Sturmey-Archer QS-RC5(W) but should fit most rear hubs

  • Bodywork

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants to get their hands dirty with building an Atomic Duck, and wants to get started ASAP. Maybe you want to:

  • build an Atomic Duck, and you just can’t wait. Get your build started now and keep adding parts as the prototypes progress. Yes there will be some tweaking involved, but isn’t that why you want to start now‽

  • use the Atomic Duck chassis and add your own bodywork. A custom made cloroplast, zotefoam, wood or aluminium body could get very close to the efficiency of the more popular fibreglass velomobiles with a little work.

  • see if your customers will be interested in the Atomic Duck/velomobiles. The development kit, plus bike parts from your workshop equals pre-release tester!

When will it be available?

January 2011, as my prototype is produced; details will go up on this site. There will be a maximum of 10 kits for the first set, available to order in January, as this is the maximum I can process in one batch.

Now much will it be?

Exact prices will be revealed when the kits go up for order, but it will be less than £1000.