It’s the stuff of dreams for sci-fi fans.
A company say they have developed a Star Wars-inspired speeder bike that can zoom to 124mph.
Poland-based Volonaut says their Airbike is the first ‘hoverbike’ vehicle of its kind that does not use propellers to fly.
Incredible videos show someone sitting on the device as it appears to effortlessly glide through the air.
At one point it hovers remarkably steady as the rider lifts a hand to wave at the camera.
The firm says: ‘This groundbreaking design shares a lot of similarities to ‘speeder bikes’ featured in popular science-fiction movies.’
Fine technical details of the AirBike have not been revealed, with the company reporting the vehicle has ‘just come out of stealth mode development’ by Polish inventor and Volonaut founder Tomasz Patan.
However, describing it as a ‘superbike for the skies’, Volonaut say the AirBike is powered by jet propulsion.
Incredible videos show someone sitting on the device as it appears to effortlessly glide through the air
Poland-based Volonaut has revealed the Airbike: a small one-person vehicle said to be able to fly at 124 mph
It has a ‘proprietary stabilisation system’ enhanced by a flight computer to provide automatic hover and ease of control for its rider.
They added: ‘The current version of the vehicle is a result of many months of hard work, solved challenges and multiple failures.
‘It took the founder several iterations to get to a working and flightworthy design on which he attempted the first stable flight in May 2023 in Poland.’
No timeline for a production model or cost have been released yet.
Instagram users praised the design, with one writing: ‘The future is here! Best personal flying aircraft I’ve seen as far as design and flight.’
Another said: ‘The generation that grew up on Star Wars was waiting for you, my friend.
‘Please work a little faster. We’re getting old but we want to go for a ride.’
Jet propulsion – which this aircraft uses – is a technology that drives vehicles forward using jets of gas.
Commonly used throughout the Star Wars galaxy, speeder bikes (pictured) are single-driver craft that move at very high speeds over 300 miles per hour
The company say theirs is the first ‘hoverbike’ vehicle that does not use propellers to fly. However, they have not yet revealed how their design works
The company say it’s such a comfortable device, the rider will ‘become one’ with the flying machine.
They add it is seven times lighter than a typical motorbike thanks to the use of carbon fibre materials.
Commonly used throughout the Star Wars galaxy, speeder bikes are single-driver craft that move at very high speeds over 300 miles per hour.
The gravity-defying bikes use a fictional technology called ‘repulsorlift’ that push against a planet’s gravity, allowing them to travel while dozens of feet off the ground.
They rely on thruster engines to provide forward thrust – but require great skill and fast reflexes, especially in a heavily-forested environment.
In the classic Star Wars film ‘Return of the Jedi’ (1983), heroes Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are chased by stormtroopers around the fictional forest moon of Endor on speeder bikes.
Hover-based transportation heavily features across the Star Wars films, including ‘The Phantom Menace’ (1999) and ‘The Force Awakens’ (2015).
THE STAR WARS LANDSPEEDER
According to Wookiepedia, in the Star Wars world, the X-34 was an open-air/sealed cockpit civilian landspeeder manufactured by SoroSuub Corporation.
One famous owner was Luke Skywalker.
It featured holographic displays, a computer for ground navigation, and a number of repulsor counterbalances for smooth and steady travel over rough terrain.
The ‘Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder’ is modeled after the X-34 aircraft from Star Wars: A New Hope. Pictured is Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movie
Its maximum altitude was 1 meter (100 cm), but its usual cruising altitude was roughly 10 cm above ground level.
It was powered by three turbine engines to propel the vehicle forward, and a ‘repulsorfield generator’ housing was located behind the cockpit.
The toy landspeeder doesn’t actually hover like the X-34 landspeeder from Star Wars: A New Hope (pictured)
Its power circuit was located in front of the cockpit.
The open-air landspeeder could be piloted through the use of a steering wheel and foot pedals, and featured a retractable duraplex windscreen.
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