A hoverbike (or hovercycle) is a vehicle that can hover, resembling a flying motorbike, having at least two propulsive portions—one in front of and one behind the driver. It is often used as a staple vehicle in science fiction and near future settings, but since the early 2010s, some attempts have been made at developing a functional, practical hoverbike.
Aeronautic motors
editStarting in 2014, Malloy Aeronautics has been developing the Malloy Hoverbike, which uses a quadcopter-like lift.[1] In 2015, the company announced collaboration with the United States Department of Defense at the Paris Airshow.[2]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 World's first fully-manned hoverbike tested in Moscow on YouTube |
In April 2016, British inventor Colin Furze announced he had created a hoverbike using two paramotors.[3]
The Aero-X is a hoverbike designed to carry up to two people.[4]
The Hoversurf Scorpion 3 is a hoverbike launched in 2017.[5] It is used in limited numbers by the Dubai Police Force.
The A.L.I. Technologies XTurismo was on sale in Japan from 2021, and in the United States the following year. It requires a pilot's licence in most countries, but not in Japan. It is considered a proof of concept with 200 to be made, with a smaller version planned for 2025, at a much lower price.[6][7] The concept existed in Japan since 2000.[8]
A one-person, or unmanned cargo, flying vehicle with four jet motors at the corners using artificial intelligence to maintain stability that has been described as a "flying motorbike" and named "Speeder" was under development in 2022, an idea that emerged from work with the US Navy. By early 2022[update], several full-size prototypes had been built, with a top speed of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h), and flight endurance of 60 minutes.[9]
In fiction
edit- This concept is commonly used in futuristic cyberpunk games such as Mass Effect 3 or Cyberpunk 2077.[10]
- In the Star Wars universe, characters use speeder bikes lifted by repulsorlift engines.
- In the video game Heroes of the Storm, heroes can use numerous types of hovercycles as mounts to increase their movement speed on the battlefield.
- The video game Grand Theft Auto Online features the Oppressor Mk II, an armed jet-powered hoverbike itself loosely based on the hoverbikes seen in the 2012 film Looper, added to the game in 2018.[citation needed]
- In the television series Kamen Rider Revice, Kamen Rider Revi rode a hoverbike based on the A.L.I. Technologies XTurismo[7] as his main mode of transport.
- The Jet Moto video game series was focused around Hoverbike racing.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Edge, Dirck (14 July 2015). "Malloy Aeronautics Hoverbike Under Development". MotorcycleDaily.
- ^ "U.S. Defense Department to develop UK hoverbike". Reuters. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Murgia, Madhumita (29 April 2016). "British inventor builds incredible working hoverbike". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 Oct 2017.
- ^ Passary, Anu (16 May 2014). "Aero-X is a cool hover bike that can be yours in 2017… for $85,000". Tech Times. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ Orf, Darren (February 15, 2018). "The Scorpion-3 Is the World's First Manned Hoverbike". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- ^ "XTURISMO LIMITED EDITION". AERWINS Technologies. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Flying motorbikes: something out of a bad 1980s sci-fi movie or the future of the commute?". The Guardian. 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Utada Hikaru - Wait & See ~Risk~". YouTube. 19 April 2000. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ Morris, Ben (18 March 2022). "How a jetpack design helped create a flying motorbike". BBC News.
- ^ "You can't control flying cars in Cyberpunk 2077". VG247. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2019-04-20.