Magic Carpet Ride
Taking a page right out of "Star Wars," California-based aerospace manufacturer Aerofex has released video showing a kind of "hover bike" maneuvering through the desert in scenes that resemble Luke Skywalker’s dashes through the Tatooine wilderness on his X-34 Landspeeder.
Taking a page right out of “Star Wars,” California-based aerospace manufacturer Aerofex has released video showing a kind of “hover bike” maneuvering through the desert in scenes that resemble Luke Skywalker’s dashes through the Tatooine wilderness on his X-34 Landspeeder.
It seems to be a rule that men with guns and uniforms are always the first to get their hands on the coolest new toys. “Think of the advantages of patrolling borders without first constructing roads,” Aerofex’s website says, possibly looking to some future government contracts. An unmanned model is also in the works, with a prototype due by 2014.
According to The Guardian, the contraption reaches speeds of 30 miles an hour, can reach heights of 15 feet and is steered with the pilot’s knees, like a motorcycle. The company has no immediate plans to make the craft commercially available.
Follow the Aerofex team’s progress on their flight log here.
— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
The Guardian:
Aerofexcorp:
Dig, Root, GrowThis year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Your support is more than a donation. It helps us dig deeper into hidden truths, root out corruption and misinformation, and grow an informed, resilient community.
Independent journalism like Truthdig doesn't just report the news — it helps cultivate a better future.
Your tax-deductible gift powers fearless reporting and uncompromising analysis. Together, we can protect democracy and expose the stories that must be told.
This spring, stand with our journalists.
Dig. Root. Grow. Cultivate a better future.
Donate today.
Health & Wellness
Who’s covered under California’s $175 billion Medicaid program, and what might get cut?
Editorial Cartoons
Labor
The evidence is in: Minimum wage hikes tend to have little to no effect on employment, but can raise the wages of hundreds of thousands of workers.
Race
In California, an approach to Black reparations based on land access, ownership and stewardship.
Prison Reform
A tale of two states and the future of “involuntary servitude” in the West.
Economic Justice
The law, designed to protect consumers from financial aftereffects of a medical emergency, goes into effect in January.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.