The Swedes of Volvo are showing another live test - and it has really washed. The "The Flying Passanger", which is not to be confused with Iggy Pop's cult song "The Passenger", is about a spectacular paragliding stunt that has never been seen in this form before. The recipe for success behind it: The unique drive train of the Volvo FH with I-Shift dual-clutch transmission. It provides the emphatic thrust that paragliders need.
For the first time ever, a truck pulls a paraglider here. As a tractor is no other truck than a Volvo FH. With him, the Swedes want to show what potential lies in their unique dual-clutch transmission. Nevertheless, one could ask at this point, what is so exciting about the action. A truck pulls a paraglider, what is spectacular about it? This question is answered quickly: The environment.
With sensitivity: The driver Louise Mariott
The Volvo FH, piloted by the New Zealander Louise Marriott, does not drive along a long straight, but meanders through winding pass and mountain roads in picturesque Croatia. And anyone who has ever driven through a mountainous region, will remember the truck, the laborious and dragging with the last power reserves up the slopes. Accordingly, it already requires a special vehicle, such as the Volvo FH with I-Shift gear to master this task. Finally, the French paraglider Guillaume Galvani has little desire for ground contact.
The precision required for the stunt ride is shown by a special passage: the passage under a suspension bridge. Not only does the rider have to maintain the high cruising speed to keep the paraglider in train and in the air, but also to adjust her pace so that Galvani can glide through the narrow opening of the suspension bridge. A stunt that is second to none. And that would hardly have worked if the tractor were not equipped with a powerful engine with I-Shift dual-clutch transmission.
Always on train with I-Shift
And since the "flying passenger" is about the integrity of the paraglider, there is no room for error. Of course, the I-Shift dual-clutch transmission is helpful when driving. With it, the performance of the 13 liter big D13 diesel engine can be maintained. It is almost equal, which slope is the large-volume diesel in the way. The combination of powerful engine power and a gearbox that allows for precise and powerful driving at all times, is optimal for this stunt. And performance has the Volvo FH plentiful. It starts with 420 PS. The Swedish truck is also available with 460, 500 or 560 PS. The highlight of the combination of engine and I-shift, however, is that not only the power and its output are in focus, but also the environment. Thus, the drivetrain allows low consumption and the classification according to the strict Euro-6 emissions standard.
Concentrated power from 13 liters cubic capacity
But what happens in the steep mountain passages in the transmission? Thanks to fully automated gear changes, the torque is maintained because traction interruptions are a thing of the past. Here, a lot of power is lost in conventional transmissions, so that the paraglider could not be pulled. Another special feature of the dual-clutch transmission is that the gear change strategy is adapted to the ambient conditions. And should the driver even feel the desire to lend a hand, he can intervene manually. Another advantage is the low weight of the I-Shift transmission. Thanks to its compact design and the aluminum housing, it is quite easy. Advantage: The engine has less mass to pull and consumes less. With the "Flying Passanger" this counted less. Much more impressive was how light-footed the Volvo FH pushed up the Croatian mountains. Especially for the pleasure of paragliding.