Not everyone wants to fly around with those long-promised jetpacks, but the next revolutionary idea in personal transportation has arrived. In China, a motorcycle that can take to the sky is available for preorder, and tech enthusiasts are foaming at the mouth to get in line.
The Skyrider X6 from Kuickwheel is "a tilting three-wheeled amphibious flying motorcycle," CarNewsChina.com reported. Designed and developed by Rictor, it is available on JD.com for 498,800 yuan (US$ 69,737).
The futuristic vehicle will offer 200 kilometers (124 miles) of range at up to 70 km/h (43 mph), but the real draw is that six rotors provide 20 minutes of flight time at 72 km/h (45 mph).
This gizmo could be used for short commutes and emergency transport.
The reverse trike layout makes it stable, and the body is made of a carbon fiber composite and an aviation-grade aluminum alloy.
"The Skyrider X6 supports automated takeoff, landing, route planning, and cruising. Manual operation via a joystick is also available for experienced users," CarNewsChina stated, sparking wild dreams akin to the fantasy of individual jetpack travel lodged in American minds for decades, if not longer.
This machine includes a ballistic parachute system and a 10.5-kilowatt-hour battery. It charges like an electric vehicle and can reach 100 percent from empty in an hour.
Expected operating and annual upkeep costs are comparable to car maintenance, per CarNewsChina.com, which pegged the former at 3 yuan (US$ 0.42) per kilometer of flight and the latter at 20,000-30,000 yuan (US$ 2,796-4,195).
Of course, no one is going to be zipping around in the air without the establishment of significant regulations. CarNewsChina.com noted driver-pilots would need a license and have to invest 50,000 yuan (US$ 6,990) in training.
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