U.S. Military to develop full-scale version of badass Malloy hoverbike

U.S. MILITARY TO DEVELOP FULL-SCALE VERSION OF THE BADASS MALLOY HOVERBIKE

Wow I remember seeing this thing and thinking. This is way cool.

but now.... a semi drone hover bike that can drop off troops, then hover on station till the mission is over, then come back in to extract....

extra cool!

It’s happening. Our dream of cruising around on speeder bikes is one step closer to becoming a reality. British engineering company Malloy Aeronautics has struck a deal with the US Department of Defense to develop and build the first truly functional, full-sized “hoverbike” in the United States. Endor, here we come.

While Malloy’s hoverbike has actually been around for a while (it burst onto the scene last year as a Kickstarter project), the company has made some design changes since the original hit the streets. In its current version, the craft is essentially a giant, rideable quadcopter with overlapping rotor blades, which helps reduce both weight and width for increased maneuverability.

“There are a lot of advantages of the Hoverbike over a regular helicopter,” says team member Grant Stapleton. “Primarily there’s safety… with adducted [or streamlined] rotors you immediately not only protect people and property if you were to bump into them, but if you ever were to bump something it’s [not] going to bring [this] aircraft out of the air.” Then there’s cost: the fuel-less hover bikes are much cheaper to run and build than traditional aircrafts.

Development of the new bike will be done with a contractor called survice.

I can't wait for these bad boys to show up at an air show.

America, # Yeah!

Sweet!

I see them being implemented like light patrol/ scout units. Sorta like the imperial speeder biker troops. Have like 2 to 4 patrol at a time. Cruise around a perimeter. Like atvs but faster. Only thing I can think of is that these fans might not do so well in dusty desert like areas. Along with blowing dirt around might jam up the rotors.

But Damn those are sweet.

a reply to: grey580

Awesome.

It'll be an Olympic sport one day!

a reply to: EA006

Hoverbike racing will be next level awesome. I wanna see a straight out desert run with a group of these things.

I think they are too vunerable, probably better for Police or first on scene medics who can scoot over traffic to get to a scene.

I do think we need mule UAVs though, like the Amazon drones but they can fly in supplies to troops in contact so out troops can move lighter, especially whn up against enemy like the taliban.

Watvhing restrepo they explained carrying all this gear against an enemy with a cape and an AK or RPG who would just shoot and scoot. If the soldiers could just travel with belt kit and be resupplied by drones it would be a game changer.

We are capable of amazing things arent week, speeder bikes!! Who would have thought it.

originally posted by: EA006
a reply to: grey580

Awesome.

It'll be an Olympic sport one day!

Hover bike jousting -- I'd pay money to see that!

Needs machine guns, grenade launchers and anti tank tow missiles.

While this would be cool as hell to see... just because the military is working on development, doesn't mean it will ever see full-scale production. They may end up dumping millions into the idea only to abandon it for a lack of feasibility... happens all the time, unfortunately.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Apparently they want these things to also be like a drone.

Remotely operated when needed.

Will they order enough so that we can donate some of them to ISIS and our other sponsored foes?

a reply to: roadgravel

Boooooooo! Spoilsport!

a reply to: grey580

Another fracking waste of US taxpayer dollars to feed the wealthy war mongers. Yipee - ain't it kewl.

a reply to: grey580

The multi functionality of it is appealing.

If you can put fancy skins on it that will take light fire from rifles. You could use the thing like a mule. Like a sensor platform or like a lite recon scout.

Wonder how fast these things can get up to. If these are quiet and can do 120. Imagine how fast you could sneak up on a post or have SF infiltrate through a city to make a raid in the middle of the night.

I can see them being used like the old open topped jeeps that people used to ride around bases in.

Make a two seater with a light machine gun or mk19 on the back and use it like Calvery to flank the enemy.

originally posted by: Thorneblood

America, # Yeah!

Holy crap I agree. I'm going to go eat a steak or something.

That thing is badass. So is our country.


Edit to add: To hell with you naysers - can't we have anything cool without you pouring pansey all over it?

For crying out loud, this thing IS and WILL BE cool.

Did your parents not let you watch Star Wars as a child?

Shoo!

a reply to: FyreByrd

You suck all the joy out of life.

Sigh

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: grey580

The multi functionality of it is appealing.

If you can put fancy skins on it that will take light fire from rifles. You could use the thing like a mule. Like a sensor platform or like a lite recon scout.

Wonder how fast these things can get up to. If these are quiet and can do 120. Imagine how fast you could sneak up on a post or have SF infiltrate through a city to make a raid in the middle of the night.

I can see them being used like the old open topped jeeps that people used to ride around bases in.

Make a two seater with a light machine gun or mk19 on the back and use it like Calvery to flank the enemy.

With that much weight, you'd need a massive engine and larger rotors... by the time you're done, you'd have an Apache.

The ONLY way this thing will work well in a design that's similar to the current prototypes is if it's unarmored with a very light payload.

Most likely by the time the military is done screwing with it, it'll be the size of an Osprey.

originally posted by: Answer
While this would be cool as hell to see... just because the military is working on development, doesn't mean it will ever see full-scale production. They may end up dumping millions into the idea only to abandon it for a lack of feasibility... happens all the time, unfortunately.

Yeah, back when I was in they were telling us we'd have this neat hover platform thing called an X-Jet that was like the vehicles on the old Jonny Quest end credits. They spent a wad of cash and built a few, then scrapped it.

eta: we were also supposed to be up for getting powered parachutes for flying into areas we couldn't jump into without being spotted. Even went to Yuma to learn how. Then they killed that too. Probably for the best, though, it was a little noisier than you'd want and you were basically like a big od green pinata.



etaa: IIRC, these are Marines getting to try it first while we watch the fun. It actually was pretty entertaining, and I want to get a civilian one but She Who Must Be Obeyed says no.

I can see the days of taking a peaceful walk in the woods will be gone for good - between off-roaders, dirt bikes, snow mobiles and now this thing.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: grey580

Another fracking waste of US taxpayer dollars to feed the wealthy war mongers. Yipee - ain't it kewl.

You might want to keep in mind that the internet you're using to post crap about military R&D is the result of military R&D.