Moller’s Skycar legacy may have turned out a failure and waste of invested money. But success may have been closer than was thought – let’s try it again with…uhh…bicycles!
The idea seems ludicrous, outlandish, even dangerous. Regardless, the question’s still begged – is it actually possible to take cycling to the sky? Czech company FBike thinks it is. After developing several CAD concepts and working through the flaws, they’re now building the prototype to be flight tested August of this year. With 4 helicopter style propellers, two main and two stabilizers, FBike hopes to build a bicycle with vertical takeoff that can maintain flight for 3-5 minutes. Frame construction will be of duralumin, an aluminum alloy used for aircraft construction.
Total weight for this bad boy is going to be 85kg/187lb, so I can’t imagine pedaling it far without the help of propellers. Dimensions are approximated at 3500mm length, 2500mm width, and 1200mm height. A lithium-polymer battery will drive the propellers at a max of 2500 rev/minute – two 1300mm diameter main propellers in the front and rear, and two 650mm stabilizing propellers flanking the rider.
Click ‘more’ for images and a video…
The frame resembles a mountain bike with disc brakes, knobby winter tires for a cushy landing, and a modified seat with a backing and double-strap seatbelt. FBike is still in the early stages of its development and they acknowledge that there may still be some flaws to be worked through. We are pumped to see how this concept develops and if it will, in fact, take us to the skies (for 3-5 minutes).
My only question – are those wheels 650b?
Source: Ubergizmo
