Hover-bike

Modern inventions for flying include this hovercraft that rides like a motorcycle.

It's like a Star Wars inspired Imperial Speeder Bike. The Aero-X hovers above the ground at a maximum altitude of 12 feet (3.6 m) and can reach airspeeds of 45 mph (72 kmh). It can carry two people to a maximum load of 310 lbs (140 kgs).

Aero-X inventor Mark De Roche, an aerospace engineer and Chief Technology Officer for Aerofex Corporation who manufacture the Aero-X, wasn't trying to create a Star Wars Imperial Speeder. He wanted to create a better all-terrain vehicle.

The problem with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) is that they are not all terrain. You can't go over water, chasms or through swamps.

The hover-bike provides search and rescue crews, emergency responders, border patrols, surveyors, farmers, ranchers and other users with an affordable vehicle that combines the benefits of all-terrain vehicles, aircraft and watercraft into one machine.

The Aero-X has a kinesthetic control system, which means the vehicle is controlled by leaning against knee and handle bars to steer it sideways, backward or forward.

"You can learn to operate it safely in just a weekend of training," says De Roche. Aerofex, based in Manhattan Beach, California is selling the Aero-X for $85,000 for delivery by 2017.

PLATFORM

Where you’re going, there are no roads. That’s why you need the Aero-X, a vehicle that makes low-altitude flight realistic and affordable. Flying up to 10 feet off the ground at 45 miles per hour, the Aero-X is unlike any vehicle you’ve seen. It’s a hovercraft that rides like a motorcycle - an off road vehicle that gets you off the ground.

The Aero-X can be adapted for unlimited outdoor uses: surveying, search and rescue, border patrol, disaster relief, aerial agricultural, ranching, and much more.

Or maybe you just want go out to the desert and fly.

Because the Aero-X is intuitive to fly, you can learn to operate it safely in just a weekend of training. It responds to your movements just as a motorcycle would. And it costs a fraction of even the most basic airplane or helicopter.   Maintenance is simple and inexpensive, as the Aero-X is built with very few moving parts and is powered by a reliable rotary engine.

Flight . . . easy, affordable, safe

Why will you fly? Reserve your Aero-X now.

PERFORMANCE

Occupancy: 2 persons
Altitude: 0 to 12 feet above surface level
Airspeed: 0 to 45 mph (72 kmh)
Takeoff Speed: 0 mph
Useful Load: 310 lbs (140 kgs)
Duration: 1.25 hours

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions:
Length: 14.8 feet (4.5 m)
Width: 6.8 feet (2.1 m)
Height: 4.1 feet (1.25 m)
Dry weight: 785 lbs (356 kg)
Fuel: automotive gasoline

DESIGN FEATURES

Intuitive pilot interface
Fixed-pitch carbon fiber fans
Four-wheel gear with castoring aft wheels
Two-position control bars
Carbon fiber composite primary structure

POWERTRAIN

Normally aspirated three–rotor rotary engine
Direct drive composite driveshafts
Oil-cooled gearboxes

SAFETY FEATURES

Vertical take-offs and landings without runways or forward speed
Ducts shroud rotating fans from ground personnel and obstacles
3:2 engine redundancy
Powertrain monitoring system
Redundant control system
Roll bar
Whole vehicle airbags (optional)

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

Tachometer with indicator lights
Mounting, USB, and power provisions for auxiliary equipment

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT

Whole vehicle airbags
Floatation pontoons for water operations
DOT approved transport trailer

TERMS

Price: $85,000 + CPI
Deposit: $5,000 USD, refundable
Deliveries: commence 2017
Performance and specifications are estimates only, and are subject to change. Price may vary based on vehicle options. Estimated Price is as of May 1, 2014 any CPI increase is calculated from that date. Terms are summarized for brevity, please read our Deposit Agreement for full details.