HoverbikeA 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 motorsStarting 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]
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
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