The Hoverbike

Built by Australian inventor Chris Malloy, the Hoverbike seems like something out of a sci-fi movie, yet this design is only a few months away from its first real world tests after initial testing showed the twin rotor system can sustain flight (it was tethered to the ground).

The Hoverbike has a theoretical top speed of 278km/h thanks to its power-to-weight ratio, and could reach heights of around 10,000 feet, oxygen levels permitting and is controlled via handlebars in a similar vein to a motorcycle.

Both left and right grips have twist throttle-style controls, one of which controls thrust while the other controls angle, which directs the Hoverbike forwards or backwards. Turning is as simple as turning the handlebars.

Malloy has been working on the Kevlar-reinforced carbon-fibre device for almost three years and has plans to sell the Hoverbike in large numbers when he finds the backing of investors. He told Gizmag that the device could sell for as much as a sports bike, perhaps $20,000 if it can be mass produced in numbers such as 1000 units per year.

Power for the twin rotor dream machine is provided via a BMW boxer engine displacing 1170cc, and the 107hp (80kW) powerplant drives the twin propellers made from Tasmania oak with carbon tips.

Malloy says the 30 litre fuel tank provides enough juice to travel almost 150 kilometres at an air speed of around 80 knots, or 148km/h, and that distance could be doubled with a secondary fuel tank attached.

The idea came to Malloy, who works in the aviation industry, when his helicopter instructor told him the Robinson R22 was so agile it was basically a flying motorcycle. Malloy thought otherwise and decided to create a more accurate version of a flying motorcycle.

Because it features twin rotors that spin in opposite directions, the Hoverbike doesn't require a vertically aligned tail rotor. The counter-rotating propellers are clean solution to a sometimes tricky problem and have the added bonus of improving thrust efficiency.

From what we can gather from media reports, the device is indeed the real deal, though how safe the Hoverbike would be screaming along at 250km/h 10,000 feet above the ground with just a pair of handlebars to hold on to remains to be seen.

But if Malloy can demonstrate the capabilities of the Hoverbike, it could be a world-wide phenomenon, though it will probably require owners to have a helicopter pilot's licence to fly one. But just imagine soaring over traffic and parking on the roof, and the sense of freedom it would offer.

Could the Hoverbike be akin to the birth of the motorcycle back in the late 1800s? Time will tell.

Check out the official Hoverbike website for more details.

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