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Kalashnikov takes a shot at building a hoverbike

Kalashnikov takes a shot at building a hoverbike
The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
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The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
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The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
The hoverbike in the air
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The hoverbike in the air
The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
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The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
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The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
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The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
A computer-generated shell over the hoverbike frame
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A computer-generated shell over the hoverbike frame
A computer-generated shell over the hoverbike frame
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A computer-generated shell over the hoverbike frame
A computer-generated shell over the hoverbike frame
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A computer-generated shell over the hoverbike frame
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Here at New Atlas we love a good hoverbike. So when Kalashnikov, the Russian weapons manufacturer best known for its infamous AK-47 assault rifle, released a video demonstrating a strange hoverbike prototype it certainly piqued our interest.

The video quietly dropped on YouTube on Monday. Rather perfunctorily titled "Kalashnikov presented a flying motorcycle", it shows the flying bike being demonstrated to some officials in a warehouse.

The unnamed vehicle is pretty rudimentary – eight rotors on a simple frame seemingly powered by a few small batteries and controlled with some standard joysticks. However, it looks like an aerodynamic shell has been designed to go over the frame.

It certainly isn't the most sophisticated looking hoverbike we've ever seen, especially coming from a large corporation with what one would assume must be a large research and development budget. It's definitely more stable than our favorite DIY hover bike, a crazy craft from inventor Colin Furze, and it looks a little safer than another crazy Russian invention we spied earlier this year called the Hoversurf Scorpion, which mounts its unprotected props at a perfect leg-amputation level.

The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer
The hoverbike recently revealed by the Russian arms manufacturer

In recent years, a couple of companies have been working to get a commercial hoverbike off the ground, including Aero-X and Malloy Aeronautics, the latter of which has attracted the interest of the US Army, but none are being offered to consumers just yet. A bunch of crazy home inventors have also been tinkering away, often with hobby-grade materials, making a variety of flying devices.

With Kalashnikov's recent announcement moving into the AI weapon game, it's not entirely surprising to see the company branching out into an aerial vehicle of this type. But with so many similar inventions literally flying around, both amateur and professional, it seems a commercial hoverbike is an inevitability.

Source: Kalashnikov Group YouTube

View gallery - 8 images
4 comments
4 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is neat. Perhaps one day be like those cycles going through the forest in the Star Wars movie?
ljaques
Well, it handles better than any other I've seen. Just add a pair of .50s out front and a couple AKs behind it for an assault vehicle. Also, there is a long charge time for a short run time. That's the problem the heavier that vehicles (and their loads) get. Tom and I'll wait for the Star Wars versions to come out.
kevin08
Pretty awesome. Once they have a decent range (10 miles or more) and a short charge time (3hours or less) then that is the perfect little commuter vehicle.
michael92
I don't think the lack of sophistication is a negative at all. Kalashnikov's designs have always been about functional simplicity, and just like their guns a 'rudimentary' hoverbike will certainly be more reliable and maintainable.