Personal flight machines have long been an integral part of science fiction movies. But now those machines are a reality. A Hungarian team has developed a flying bike that looks very similar to the flying machines in films.
The all-electric vehicle dubbed ‘Flike’ is powered by lithium polymer batteries, which allows it to sustain a 30-40 minute flight.
Developer of Flike, Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd., is a state-owned applied research institute in Hungary. It recently tested its first manned flight at Miskolc Airfield in northeast Hungary. In the test flight, Flike stayed aloft for over a minute with a take-off weight of 463lb (210kg) and landed safely.
How does it work?
The lift is generated by six rotors grouped in counter-rotating pairs on three axes, equally located around a circle. The rotation speed of individual rotors can be adjusted, and an onboard computer takes care of the craft’s stability.
As per Bay Zoltan, the craft’s airborne behavior is much like a helicopter…it can hover, drift, spin, turn and dive. The team claims flying the Flike will be as easy as riding a bike.
