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FBike Flying Bicycle Concept: Will Cycling Be Jetson-ified?

Flying Bike F Bike Main Drive
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Flying Bike F Bike Main Drive

 

Moller’s Skycar legacy may have turned out a failure and waste of invested money. But success may have been closer than was thought – let’s try it again with…uhh…bicycles!

The idea seems ludicrous, outlandish, even dangerous. Regardless, the question’s still begged – is it actually possible to take cycling to the sky? Czech company FBike thinks it is. After developing several CAD concepts and working through the flaws, they’re now building the prototype to be flight tested August of this year. With 4 helicopter style propellers, two main and two stabilizers, FBike hopes to build a bicycle with vertical takeoff that can maintain flight for 3-5 minutes. Frame construction will be of duralumin, an aluminum alloy used for aircraft construction.

Total weight for this bad boy is going to be 85kg/187lb, so I can’t imagine pedaling it far without the help of propellers. Dimensions are approximated at 3500mm length, 2500mm width, and 1200mm height. A lithium-polymer battery will drive the propellers at a max of 2500 rev/minute – two 1300mm diameter main propellers in the front and rear, and two 650mm stabilizing propellers flanking the rider.

Click ‘more’ for images and a video…

Flying Bike F Bike Above Flying Bike F Bike Handlebars Cockpit

The frame resembles a mountain bike with disc brakes, knobby winter tires for a cushy landing, and a modified seat with a backing and double-strap seatbelt. FBike is still in the early stages of its development and they acknowledge that there may still be some flaws to be worked through. We are pumped to see how this concept develops and if it will, in fact, take us to the skies (for 3-5 minutes).

My only question – are those wheels 650b?

Source: Ubergizmo

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off-roadie
off-roadie
11 years ago

I’m sorry, I don’t usually troll, but this is just…outstanding. I thought some of the e-mountain bike things were goofy, but this is head and shoulders above the rest. Really, this is the CAT1 of bad ideas. I can’t wait to see if it can make pro! Please report anymore news you get on this!

Topmounter
Topmounter
11 years ago

Let me guess… It’s a Kickstarter project… They’ll raise a bunch of $$$ from gullible people… Who will never hear from them again?

Sounds about right.

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Joe Graney
Joe Graney
11 years ago

i’m glad to see its a fatbike

Steve M
Steve M
11 years ago

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What is up with this?

DS
DS
11 years ago

April fool anyone ?

The first idea that come to my mind is Da Vinci’s “helicopter”. Problem is where the power come from, but this one will have even more problems and the concept/utiilty seems flawed.

Dustin
Dustin
11 years ago

Real question is.. will it be UCI approved?

guy
guy
11 years ago

New fatbike literally flies over bumpy terrain.

Juri
Juri
11 years ago

I know a little about this, and this is not more that an advertisement (my opinion).
If this bike really flight for a 3 minutes, than it will in all TV (CZE) and this will be the best advertisement for those firms, isn’t it?

härbert
härbert
11 years ago

No way!
I wouldn´t even turn on a calculator to roughly assume the forces that bond the 150+ kg to the ground…!

Every 90° redirection of kinetic-energy has an efficiency factor from about 50% under perfect conditions an on this construction i see a lot of such bend loss !
So the electric motor better be strong to compensate this, because:
The max. input of a rider could be up to 2400W (Track-Sprinter: Lausberg, Nüscheler, …)
which is about 3Hp/PS but just for seconds. For the three minutes the input of a elite biker would be about 1100W which would move this Thing, but definetly not verticaly…

To stay optimistic:It could work:
if the great Marco Pantani with his 65kg would push the pedals one more time AND
if they make their attempt to fly with a bit less gravity …i would suggest on the moon
(please don´t forget to bring some atmosphere to there for the rider and the necesary air density)

Topmounter
Topmounter
11 years ago

I just realized how they’ll get their 3-5 minutes of flight… the rider appears to be wearing a parachute… they’re going to BASE jump this thing.

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igor
igor
11 years ago

Think of how much you could huck with this!

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