The hoverbike is a flying motorcycle that everyone watching Star Wars probably wanted to ride. Similar devices could be seen in all parts of the saga; for example, stormtroopers rode through the forests on them, and you will find a version of the hoverbike from the episode “Rebirth of the Force” in the photo above.
Or perhaps we've watched other science fiction movies where someone floats just an inch off the ground and rolls through futuristic landscapes. Either way, the concept of a car hovering in the air that could take you from point A to point B, or just let you have some fun on the road, was pretty cool!
Time does not stand still, and thanks to the work of a number of futurological engineers, it is already possible to find a working version of a hoverbike. Let's figure out what this vehicle is, how it works and even how much it costs.
How does a hoverbike work (characteristics)
Hoverbike, what is it anyway? In English, “hoverbike” is a “hovering motorcycle.” These machines operate on the principle of drones, using propellers to stay in the air. From here it also becomes clear that such devices are stuffed with a bunch of sensors that measure all kinds of readings and allow you to balance and fly.
Of course, you can make a hoverbike with your own hands, but this is a complex process and also dangerous, because in order to check the result, you will have to sit on it yourself and lift yourself some distance from the ground. We therefore advise that such attempts be approached with great caution.
However, finding working examples made by hand is not so difficult. Here's a video of a flying motorcycle that an Englishman put together (it looks very dangerous!):
These cars do not have any specific characteristics, since this is a rather young, immature vehicle. At the moment, the most outstanding specimen and, probably, the strongest can be called Hoversurf Scorpion 3 (S3). Here are some specifications:
- The Hoverbike's top speed is 96 km/h (60 mph or 52 knots).
- The safe flight altitude is 5 meters above the ground (16 feet).
- Engine power is 33 kW each.
- Battery - lithium manganese nickel (LiNiMnCoO2).
- Battery capacity is 12.3 kWh.
- Actual flight time is from 10 to 25 minutes.
- The charger is a portable home device that recharges the battery in 2.5 hours.
- Safety - Triple protection system: electronic (emergency landing, audible and visual warning system, interference protection), mechanical (protection switch) and passive (built-in crumple zones, power fences and reinforced carbon fiber pilot guards).
How to reduce the cost of air transportation of a motorcycle
Transporting a motorcycle by plane will cost less than a car, since it is lighter and smaller in size. However, the amount will also be considerable, especially if the load is not only heavy, but also voluminous. To reduce volume and, accordingly, cost, the front wheel can be removed. You also need to keep in mind that it is more profitable to send the motorcycle not in a plywood box, but mounted on a metal frame - it is much lighter, which automatically reduces the cost of delivery.
If you need to air transport a motorcycle to the remote north-eastern regions of the Russian Federation, turning to the help of Air Trans Express specialists will allow you not to think about finding suitable packaging and options for reducing the cost of delivery, about collecting documents, pre-flight preparation of the bike, and loading it on board.
In this case, the motorcycle will be delivered to the destination extremely quickly, with a guarantee of safety, without the risk of the airline refusing to provide the service and on the most acceptable terms.
How much does a flying motorcycle cost?
As we said earlier, this market has not yet been formed, so there are no average prices. But as an example, consider the previously described device.
The price of the Scorpio 3 Hoverbike is $150,000. However, to place an order, you need to make an advance payment of 10% ($15,000) of the total cost, after which you will have to wait for the device to be delivered within 2-6 months. In addition, to operate a flying motorcycle you need to undergo training, which costs $10,000 for US residents.
By the way, the Hoversurf company, which created the S3 machine mentioned above, has roots in Russia, although it is located in the United States.
You can buy a Hoverbike cheaper. For example, the price of the Aero-X hoverbike is $85,000, but, naturally, the characteristics of the device are weaker. Its maximum speed is 72 km/h and its flight altitude is 3 meters above the ground.
Features of air transportation of a motorcycle
Not only cars, but also motorcycles can be sent on cargo flights. For transportation, they are placed in a container made of durable plywood, securely fixing the bike inside the box to prevent its spontaneous movement during flight.
For air delivery, motorcycles can be mounted on special metal frames
The motorcycle can also be transported mounted on a special metal frame covered with cardboard. In this case, it is important to choose the frame according to the size - otherwise there will be problems with fixing the bike.
Russian hoverbike review: dangerous and amazing
Last week we already wrote about the Scorpion-3 hoverboard. But new information has arrived, which we will share in today's review. It turns out that this hoverboard is from Russia. And the flying drone is assembled in Moscow. Hoversurf company wants to turn it into a taxi for transporting people or goods. So it would be more accurate to call a multicopter class device for such a flight a hoverbike. After all, people fly on it. By the way, here is the website of the development company. This information is not advertising, the guys just deserve attention by the very fact of their existence.
Some English-language resources fear that the Scorpion-3 hoverbike placed the propellers dangerously close to the pilot’s legs, and call it “the joy of amputees.” Others say it's "hardcore for extreme people." Still others see it as a practical form of transport for the future. At least within the company itself. The truth, as always, is somewhere nearby.
The Hoversurf Scorpion is essentially a motorcycle with four high-speed propellers that provide lifting power to it. How much can the machine lift? On the company’s website they state that there are developments with a carrying capacity from 90 to 2500 kg.
The company itself sees the future of its devices in the development of agriculture, monitoring work, cargo transportation, as well as in use for ship and land-based exploration in ice, georeconnaissance, and even delivery of oil and gas equipment to hard-to-reach places. It can also be used for rescue and evacuation. “Drones” are offered with the ability to fly autonomously or via radio control.
In fact, the idea is not new at all. It has been actively used for the last 5 years all over the world from Singapore to California and from Tokyo to Berlin. Developers everywhere realize that multicopters will one day be able to carry enough cargo to replace taxis. With autopilot, of course.
The Scorpio-1 hoverbike, by the way, was noted for the fact that (the grammar and punctuation of the original excerpt from the site has been preserved) “We are the first in the world to lift a person on an electric quadcopter! This is a flying motorcycle (hoverbike) Scorpion 1. Of course, the E-Volo company lifted a person on an 18-motor multicopter a little earlier, but if we talk about a classic quadcopter, we are the first. The video can be viewed on our website or video channel. We have developed proprietary motors, controllers, batteries and a hybrid FPE system for long-duration flights.”
From the first working concept to the Scorpio-3 project, noted by foreign colleagues, at least two working prototypes passed. They all offer vertical take-off and hovering at a certain altitude if necessary. In principle, the same advantages of a helicopter, but without the mechanical complexity and high maintenance requirements.
As noted on the same developer website, “flying cars controlled by computers in 3-dimensional space are the next step after robotic cars, which, due to the specifics of the existing infrastructure, are very limited.
Large and expensive helicopters with a pilot are a travel option for a very limited number of people.”
It's hard to argue with that. And what scares people abroad are these same propellers that spin ten centimeters from the pilot’s feet. Taught by horror films, the mass involuntary viewer of demonstration videos inevitably imagines a meat grinder.
It is difficult to say whether powerful electric motors are capable of delivering enough charge to cut through human bones. It is unlikely that lithium-ion batteries, accelerometers, inertial measurement modules and GPS chips were placed in one housing to injure a person. The software also monitors security. So, unless you plan to jump from such devices with a parachute, you simply won’t be able to get caught on the propellers.
Perhaps the only thing you can worry about when sitting on this hoverbike is how soft the landing will be. The demo videos do not show the chassis. The solid platform plummets straight to the ground. And it’s good if the surface is flat. But outside the garage, no one can promise flat ground without holes, potholes and stones. So future cargo investors may also be concerned about the smoothness of the flight. This problem is likely resolved in the final sample.
But even before the hoverbike lands, the pilot can also be bothered by faulty propellers. Should one of the four jam for some reason, the rest will not have a backup option for backup. That is, most likely, the device will tilt. Loss of stabilization at 1-3 meters at high speed can be fatal. Then you will have to worry not about getting into the propellers, but about how to protect the bones from fracture.
For a company that is going to create a taxi, this is an important factor - safety. The life of the passenger comes first. At least for this reason, an 18-rotor multicopter looks preferable. But we can assume that the developers are also working on this issue, creating, for example, paired screws.
By the way, hand-drawn taxi concepts no longer look so threatening to the pilot or passenger, but they still lack soft-landing landing gear and redundant propellers. We can assume that the system will land the device before anything happens to the screws. But what if they are hit by a flying pigeon? Once again, the issue of safety comes first. The second is the duration of the flight.
In any case, we would be happy to look at a new prototype of the Scorpion-4 type, where such shortcomings will be corrected. The advantages of this device have not been canceled either: environmental friendliness and small dimensions.
So let's wish Hoversurf success in their difficult endeavors and look forward to news!
Author: Stepan Mazur
Original photo: newatlas
Compactness of a VTOL flying car
But besides low noise, the project has another undeniable advantage - it is significantly compact. With the wings folded, the flying car can easily be placed in a regular parking lot and takes up space no larger than the usual parking space for an average car, which is important for overpopulated and crowded cities. Most likely, the air car will also have wheels, otherwise how will it move on the roads? Most likely, this interesting development by Russian designers will lay the foundation for the transport of the future - flying taxis and radically change the road infrastructure.
To be continued
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