Flying cars and flying bikes are projected to be the transportation modes of the future. In a similar vein, a Japanese firm intends to launch hoverbikes in the United States by next year. The new hoverbike was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show. The bike’s ability to fly or hover above the earth blurs the lines between fiction and reality with its introduction. According to Aerwins, the birth of Xturismo marks the start of a new journey into the future of transportation.
The Aerwins Xturismo hoverbike soars above the ground using several propellers in a design that appears to be inspired by a quadcopter with extra propellers. It has two large propellers in the front and four little propellers, two on each end, in the back. The main propellers give the hoverbike lift, and the smaller ones help keep it steady.
The hoverbike’s propellers are powered by an internal combustion engine, assisted by a battery. The noise from the power source combined with the propellers makes the hoverbike extremely loud, but the company hopes to reduce the decibels in the future.
This is the world's first flying bike. The XTURISMO hoverbike is capable of flying for 40 minutes and can reach speeds of up to 62 mph pic.twitter.com/ZPZSHJsmZm
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 16, 2022
The Aerwins XTurismo measures 3.7 metres (146 inches) in length, 2.4 metres (94.5 inches) in width, and 1.5 metres (59 inches) in height. It can fly for up to 30 to 40 minutes at a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 kph). The hoverbike weighs 300 kg (661 pounds) due to the use of carbon fibre in the body and can carry up to 100 kg (220 pounds).
The 200 limited-edition XTurismos will be delivered in 2022, followed by general manufacturing as costs fall. VTOL rules and regulations should have caught up by the time this flying bike reaches that position.
