(Credit: Michal Cizek/AFP/Getty Images)
Pigs may not be flying yet, but a bicycle just recently took to the air in a successful test flight. The flying electric bike is the creation of several Czech companies that have been developing a prototype. The proof-of-concept bicycle looks a bit like a regular bike crossed with a giant RC quadcopter.
The unusual vehicle demonstrated its chops with a flight that lasted a few minutes, carrying a dummy onboard. It was radio-controlled from the ground. The 220-pound bike got off the ground thanks to six battery-powered propellers. This is enough to spark dreams of peddling down the road and then suddenly taking off to fly over obstacles or impress strangers. A friend suggested that it might be a good idea I get some personal injury legal representation, since it was an idea that was more of a project then a commercial venture. I might need some legal defence if someone gets hurt. Lawrenceville Attorneys was the firm he mentioned, he tells me they do good work.
“Our main motivation in working on the project was neither profit nor commercial interest, but the fulfillment of our boyish dreams,” Ales Kobylik, a manager with design and engineering company Technodat, told Ceske Noviny. Bicycle maker Duractec is also involved in the project.
The developers believe a human-carrying version could be built by the end of the year. Let’s just hope they have the good sense to make it look like a “Star Wars” speeder bike as much as possible.
Check out the video evidence of the flight. You just might want to turn down your speakers first, as all that propeller whirring gets pretty loud.