[VIDEO] Fully Functional Star Wars-Style Hoverbike Flies Above The Ground And Water

Now Aerofex has unveiled plans to begin selling a commercial model in 2017 for about US $85,000 -- but anyone eager for a head start on living the "Star Wars" dream can put down a preorder deposit of $5000 toward the final price.

discovery.com

"Where you're going, there are no roads," the company writes. "That's why you need the Aero-X, a vehicle that makes low-altitude flight realistic and affordable. Flying up to 3 metres (10 feet) off the ground at 45mph (72kph), the Aero-X is unlike any vehicle you've seen. It's a hovercraft that rides like a motorcycle -- an off road vehicle that gets you off the ground."

Such a vehicle is designed to hover above the ground at maximum speeds of 72 kilometers per hour and at heights of almost 3.7 meters off the ground, allowing it to carry two people across open terrain without the need for roads.

techtimes.com

But the fantastical vision has only become possible because Aerofex has worked to conquer tough engineering challenges involving stability and control issues that plagued similar hover vehicles in past decades.

discovery.com

"We’ve done a lot of work to learn how to remove the coupling effect," says Mark De Roche, chief technology officer and founder of Aerofex. "That’s the key for someone who only has motorcycle experience to be able to get on it and feel comfortable right away."

gizmodo.co.uk

Aerofex claims that the upcoming hover bike can be adapted for numerous outdoor uses. The Aero-X can be used commercially for security purposes such as border patrol, rescue, use in agriculture and more. Users can also just use the bike for leisure purposes.

loadthegame.com

The bike responds to its user's movements, very similar to the technique used by motorcycles. The expected price of the Aero-X in 2017 is $85,000 + CPI, which is a fraction of the price if someone wants to buy a helicopter or a basic airoplane.

techtimes.com

The maintenance of the Aero-X bike is supposedly very reasonable as the company has used very less moving parts. Moreover, the futuristic bike has a reliable rotary engine that powers it

The Aero-X will be 14.8 feet (4.5 m) in length, 6.8 feet (2.1 m) in width and 4.1 feet (1.25 m) in height. The bike is expected to weigh 785 lbs (356 kg). The Aero-X will take-off or land vertically without the requirement of high forward speed or runways.

For more information on the new Aerofex Hover Bike jump over to the Aerofex website for details and to place a pre-order if your pockets are deep enough.