If inventor Chris Malloy has his way, we’ll all get a chance to take to the skies with his Hoverbike Flying Machine. This motorcycle-inspired flyer uses a pair of caged rotors to create the downward thrust necessary to achieve real flight. A single pilot hops aboard just as they would a motorcycle, and a twist of the throttle will take the Hoverbike to heights up to 10,000 ft. While experience flying a helicopter or propeller plane will help, the Hoverbike is to be classified as an “ultralite” in the US, meaning owners will not need a license to fly as currently planned.
Sound like a pipe dream? Note that these pictures aren’t renderings, the Hoverbike is a very real machine. The Hoverbike is approaching its first untethered test flight, a giant leap forward for individual aviation. It has been a stable test subject when tethered, and Malloy is raising funds to perform the final tweaks before Hoverbike takes to the skies untethered.
Once the prototype is complete and the Hoverbike is ready for the market, Malloy hopes to begin by selling 100 Hoverbikes per year. At that rate, they’ll be priced at around $50,000 USD per unit. Once he can boost production accordingly, he hopes to bring the price down to a rate similar to common motorcycle prices. Hey, we may still be a ways away from flying cars, but I’ll gladly be pacified with a flying motorcycle. Check please!
No comments:
Post a Comment