Malloy Aeronautics has started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to acquire cash for its second-generation Hoverbike.
The original version of the 'copter was introduced in 2011 by engineer Chris Malloy, who claimed it could fly at speeds up to 173 miles per hour (mph), according to CNET. The vehicle had two blades, and was designed to be used at altitudes of 10,000 feet.
Malloy has since been focusing on improving the Hoverbike's design with additions that would make it easier and safer to control. One change is the addition of two propellers, turning it into a quadcopter.
The new Hoverbike, which comes in the form of a one-third scale drone, serves as a proof of concept for the full-sized Hoverbike. The vehicle has shown several capabilities, such as carrying a glass of water without spilling it, following a pre-determined flight path, following the pilot, and performing automatic take-off and landing moves, Gizmag reported.
Aircraft grade aluminum, carbon composite and polyurethane were used to build the vehicle. The drone is 45.5 inches long and can carry a payload that weighs 3.3 pounds at its heaviest. The quadcopter weighs 4.85 pounds and can fly at a maximum speed of 45 mph, depending on the heft of the payload. Unlike other consumer quadcopters, the scaled-down version of the Hoverbike can be folded down to 23.2 inches in length.
Backers can now buy the new Hoverbike at $1,219, and if the Kickstarter campaign is completed successfully, shipping for the drone will begin three to four months afterwards, Gizmag reported.
Malloy said selling Hoverbike will help his company raise funds to keep adding improvements to the drone, CNET reported.
"We are in the final construction stages of the latest manned prototype of Hoverbike, and in a few months we will start flight testing. After the successful completion of test flights we will build a final engineering prototype for submission to aviation certification authorities," he said on Kickstarter.
"This all takes a lot of time and money and raising funds to achieve this is what this campaign is all about. We have a proven track record over the years, and our dedication to the Hoverbike development will continue beyond this Kickstarter campaign until we are ready for sale of the manned Hoverbike."
