A group of Czech engineers were able to design a flying bicycle that features six propellers to lift it off the ground. Now the idea might seem absurd, but the engineers claimed it will start its production this week, with the end goal of conducting its first series of flight tests sometime in August. It’s called the Flying Bike or FBike. FBike is still in its early stages of development. The concept involves fitting electrically-driven propellers to the custom frame of a bicycle that will allow the pilot to hover above traffic, given that the batteries hold out.
The engineers explained that the FBike will function like a normal bike on the ground, but is also capable of vertical take-off and landing. Using 3D modeling tools from Dassault Systèmes, the engineers played with 3D modeling tools to create renderings of the multicopter bicycle concept. The team believes that four 10kW compact brushless electric motors for its front and back twin propellers and two 3.5kW stabilized motors for the blades at the side will be enough for vertical lift-off.
Jindrich Vitu, one of the designers, said that in order for the FBike to take-off, it will have to assume a static position. The FBike will reportedly use 50Ah Lithium-polymer batteries positioned below the crossbar of the bike, as well gyroscopes and accelerometers housed in an onboard control unit to keep it stable. “The very last thing to be done is to select LiPol batteries manufacturer. So we are expecting the production will start this or next week,” Vitu said. However, the engineers said that its FBike might not go out into mass production.
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