Aerofex Hoverbike on its Way to Star Wars Speeder Status

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By Michael Colombo
Posted 2012/08/24 @ 12:00 pm
Category Fun & Games, Home

California-based company Aerofex has developed a working hoverbike that uses ducted fan technology and can be controlled by knee movements of the pilot. The ducted fans have been around since the 60s, but Aerofex has only now utilized them in this capacity with enough stability for the pilot to have control over the vehicle’s movements.

The hoverbike was presented at the American Helicopter Society Future Vertical Lift Conference in San Francisco recently. While a manned production version is enticing, they’re holding off and focusing on a drone version first.

[via The Creators Project]

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BY Michael Colombo

I do work in fabrication, electronics, sound design, music production and performance (Yes. All that.) Also a graduate of NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP).

I have three black cats.

Push The Other Button - Colombo's Project Blog

In the Maker Shed

6 Responses to Aerofex Hoverbike on its Way to Star Wars Speeder Status

Jamie Kelly (@jamietie) on August 24th, 2012 at 12:50 pm said:

I love it, but as a person on PopSci pointed out: falling off a bike means hitting the ground, while falling off this means falling through a spinning blade of death.

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- Lindsay Wilson on August 25th, 2012 at 4:17 am said:
  
  I think that’s easily solved – metal mesh grids above and below the fans. Lets air through, but not people…..
  
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Hank Curmudgeon on August 24th, 2012 at 4:48 pm said:

“Aerofex has only now utilized them [ducted fans] in this capacity with enough stability for the pilot to have control over the vehicle’s movements.”

Really….? Wake me when you take 3 people to 3000′ AGL @ 70 mph. Everything old is new again. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airgeep

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Dano on September 14th, 2012 at 4:26 am said:

Neat idea. The concept appears to have the classic hovercraft problem, no drag. The lack of friction keeps the craft from stopping or turning without drift. Unless they make some breakthroughs with control systems, an empty dry lake bed one of the few places we could play with this toy.
A simpler concept was invented about 5 decades ago by the Hiller aircraft company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiller_VZ-1_Pawnee The only drawback noted was its use in combat situations. No one wanted to be an easy target. The efficiency of a modern engine and digital surface design may render the Hiller design far more useful, simpler, and cheaper.

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Habib on November 7th, 2012 at 11:21 am said:

A little advice to share my dreams come true that please use the engin and the roater in a cars front and rear part . So it can fly . I wish to build it someday with car engine and fly it by myself. Can anyone help me to build?

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