Czech engineers set to build six-prop Flying Bike

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The FBike's 50Ah Lithium-polymer batteries are positioned below the crossbar of the roughly mountain bike-shaped light alloy frame

A team of enthusiasts from a number of Czech companies has designed a flying bicycle with six propellers for lift and stability, and is about to start building the FBike ahead of scheduled test flights in August

Four 10kW compact brushless electric motors drive the 51-inch diameter front and back twin propellers

Telescopic dampers and so-called winter wheels with a chunky tire profile smooth out the landing

Rendering showing the composite casing housing front and back twin propellers, and stabilizing props at each side

Early climb-in frame design that was abandoned due to problems with rider/pilot position and mount/dismount

Under each side propeller unit is a telescopic damper that extends before take-off and at landing to ensure balance

Top view of the twin prop units at the front and rear

Rider view of the twin prop at the front and the onboard information display panel

Top view of the FBike design that will shortly be made real by the Czech engineers from Technodat, Evektor and Duratec

When on the ground, the FBike will have all of the features commonly seen on everyday pedal bikes - the side props and telescopic stabilizers can be rotated 90 degrees to provide the rider with a boost if needed

Article Summary

From the Jetsons to Back To The Future, hopping onto or into a personal flying vehicle has been on the engineering "To Do" list for a good many years. We've seen a number of noteworthy attempts at defying gravity and taking to the skies here at Gizmag (many of which are featured in this roundup from 2010) and now another possible addition to that growing collection has landed on our desk. Known simply as the Flying Bike (or FBike), this collaborative effort from a bunch of Czech companies and enthusiasts is still very much in the early stages of development, but the proposal is to fit a number of electrically-driven propellers to the custom frame of a two-wheeler that will allow the pilot to rise above the traffic for as long as the batteries hold out.

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