Forget Motorcycles! Get a Star Wars Speeder Bike!

[imitator]

Wait, even jets have lightning protection and these manufacturers aren't including lightning protection, as far as I can see? Not looking good.

I think most of these are considered ultralight aircraft. They’re lightly regulated, so lightning protection isn’t required. The idea is you’re not supposed to fly in bad weather to begin with. If someone does, that probably means natural selection can handle the paperwork.

[quintessentone]

I think most of these are considered ultralight aircraft. They’re lightly regulated, so lightning protection isn’t required. The idea is you’re not supposed to fly in bad weather to begin with. If someone does, that probably means natural selection can handle the paperwork.

Yeah, I thought I read (not AI) about lightning travelling great distances to strike on a clear day.

AI: "Yes, it is possible for lightning to strike on a clear day, also known as a "bolt from the blue". This phenomenon occurs when a lightning strike originates from a thunderstorm cloud and travels a considerable distance in clear air before striking the ground."

AI: "Static Dischargers: These devices, located on the trailing edges of wings and tail surfaces, release static electricity buildup, reducing the likelihood of a lightning strike.

• Lightning Receptors: Strategically placed on the aircraft (e.g., nose, wingtips, empennage), lightning receptors intentionally attract and intercept lightning, channeling the electrical current through the aircraft's structure.
  
• Bonding and Grounding: These systems ensure that electrical current is diverted safely away from critical components and prevents arcing. The aircraft's metallic structure forms a "Faraday cage," channeling the electrical charge around the exterior and away from the cabin and systems.
  
• Composite Structures: Aircraft with composite structures (e.g., fuselages, wings) utilize conductive metallic foils and strips to ensure lightning current can be safely conducted through the structure, according to the aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
  

Protection Against Lightning Effects:

• Direct Effects: The aircraft's structure is designed to withstand the direct impact of lightning, and protective measures are taken to prevent damage to the airframe.
  
• Induced Effects: Lightning can also induce electrical currents in the aircraft's systems. Protection is provided through shielding, isolation, and other measures to ensure these currents do not adversely affect the safety of the aircraft.
  

Important Considerations:

• Structural Integrity: Lightning strikes can potentially weaken the structure of the aircraft, requiring proper design and testing to ensure structural integrity.
  

• Electrical and Electronic Systems: Protection measures are crucial to prevent lightning from disrupting or damaging the aircraft's electrical and electronic systems.
  
• Fuel Tanks: Fuel tanks are designed and tested to withstand lightning strikes without causing explosions, with thicker skin in those areas."
  

----------------------

Yeah, no lightning protection at all on a craft using jet fuel, what could go wrong?

[imitator]

Yeah, no lightning protection at all on a craft using jet fuel, what could go wrong?

No lightning protection on a flying gas tank sounds exciting to me!
Life is too short to play it safe. ;)

[Inspector44]

Polish company Volonaut has unveiled the Airbike, a real-life flying vehicle inspired by Star Wars speeder bikes. It can reportedly soar through the air at 124 mph using jet propulsion... with no propellers, making it a world-first in hoverbike design. The Airbike features advanced stabilization, a flight computer, and a carbon fiber body that makes it seven times lighter than a typical motorbike.

Although full technical specs haven’t been released, footage shows the Airbike hovering and gliding smoothly through the air, even allowing the rider to wave mid-flight. Developed in secret and flight-tested in May 2023, the Airbike is being praised as a potential game-changer in personal aviation.

Pricing and availability details for the Airbike are expected to be announced soon.

I can imagine a motorcycle club trading in their Harleys for Airbikes... leather jackets flapping at 124 mph, beards in lift-off mode, Sons of Anarchy meets Return of the Jedi. 

Watch the Airbike hover and fly like it’s straight out of Star Wars.

[Video: https://youtu.be/Q74qlF48qX0?si=UQsQ3rD4nyP56uup]
https://youtu.be/Q74qlF48qX0?si=UQsQ3rD4nyP56uup

[Video: https://youtu.be/-Fev5M_7Wnw?si=hR716DZyeFSLhllT]

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/...s-fly.html
[Image: https://denyignorance.com//images/addsmi...cheers.gif]

Yeah its neat and all, but its an edited video. This thing doesn't fly very far or high and if they market it it will only be available to millionaires who are also licensed pilots. Nothing cool is ever made for the peasants. Besides, when the first clown decapitates himself on an overpass in front of a school bus full of toddlers this will go in a warehouse and be forgotten.

[Inspector44]

XPENG Drone Commuter ile beraberiz.

https://x.com/steerF0cus/status/1911135199288778834


[Image: https://denyignorance.com/uploader/image...40-377.jpg]

As a Quality Assurance member, I would never get into anything made in China that flies. They simply do not operate on our level when it comes to industrial standards.

[imitator]

Yeah its neat and all, but its an edited video. This thing doesn't fly very far or high and if they market it it will only be available to millionaires who are also licensed pilots. Nothing cool is ever made for the peasants. Besides, when the first clown decapitates himself on an overpass in front of a school bus full of toddlers this will go in a warehouse and be forgotten.

Yeah, those videos are probably edited... I think they are showing the real thing. It also looks CGI, probably because of the drone footage and the stabilization filters.. Though, I'm not 100% sure because AI is just too good.  ;) 

And sure, it’s not going to fly across the country or make long trips. I would think these airbikes mostly skim just above the trees. If anything, the first crash will be someone getting clotheslined by a power line or a tree. 

You don’t need to be a millionaire to get one... not if you’re the garage builder type. It's like building a drone, except on a larger scale. With some motors, carbon tubing, and microcontrollers who’s ignored a few warning labels, it’s doable. Just… don’t test fly it near a preschool.  ;P

[pianopraze]

Instead of building 'built for speed' flying vehicles with jet fuel or expensive chips and batteries, why not an outer hydrogen filled layer balloon, solar powered, with inner layer with seating and steering via wind power and if it should fail, it will lightly and slowly fall to the ground then land upright on landing pads?

It won't be a thrill ride, that's for sure, but there are those that don't want a thrill ride.

We can spy on and borrow Chinese balloon tech.

You’re starting to sound like all the UFOs people seeing right now.

[putnam6]

As a Quality Assurance member, I would never get into anything made in China that flies. They simply do not operate on our level when it comes to industrial standards.

Damn I already purchased one it will be shipped to me in the fall. Just discussing the topic. I'd give my left nut to be able to commute through the air or with my autonomous driving car, we're years from that too. 

There a 1000 issues BEFORE we would ever get a widely used AirTaxi, much less a personal drone. im 60, I don't think I'll be able to go and get in one before I croak, and Im hoping for another 15 years.

ATCs say they would be a nightmare, obviously in already crowded urban areas with lots of incoming and outgoing airports. According to those in the know is one basic problem 

And they are just talking about UAVs, now add autonomous manned aerial vehicles to the mix. It's a cool tech, but until I get in one to take me consistently from point A to point B. Hell Im waiting for that 

 

Personal UAVs and drones can indeed clutter air traffic control (ATC) radar, but the impact depends on several factors. Most consumer drones operate at low altitudes (typically below 400 feet) and have small radar cross-sections, making them less likely to be detected by primary ATC radar designed for larger aircraft. However, they can still appear as noise or intermittent targets, especially in dense urban areas with many drones.
ATC radar systems, like those using ADS-B or primary surveillance radar, are optimized for tracking larger, faster-moving objects at higher altitudes. Drones often fly below radar coverage or are filtered out as clutter. That said, in high-traffic drone areas, unfiltered returns could overwhelm controllers or create confusion, especially if drones lack proper transponders or identification systems.
To mitigate this, systems like UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) are being developed to manage low-altitude drone traffic separately from traditional ATC. Some drones now use ADS-B Out or similar tech to broadcast their position, helping integrate them into airspace monitoring. Without such systems, a flood of unregistered drones could strain ATC situational awareness, particularly near airports.
Data from the FAA shows drone sightings near airports spiked to over 2,000 annually in recent years, highlighting the issue. Still, radar clutter from drones is less about flooding screens and more about creating unpredictable, unidentified targets that complicate safe airspace management.

[Inspector44]

Damn I already purchased one it will be shipped to me in the fall. Just discussing the topic. I'd give my left nut to be able to commute through the air or with my autonomous driving car, we're years from that too. 

There a 1000 issues BEFORE we would ever get a widely used AirTaxi, much less a personal drone. im 60, I don't think I'll be able to go and get in one before I croak, and Im hoping for another 15 years.

ATCs say they would be a nightmare, obviously in already crowded urban areas with lots of incoming and outgoing airports. According to those in the know is one basic problem 

And they are just talking about UAVs, now add autonomous manned aerial vehicles to the mix. It's a cool tech, but until I get in one to take me consistently from point A to point B. Hell Im waiting for that 

 

I'm not talking from an ATC standpoint, their manufacturing process is subpar to our ISO 9000 and AS9100D standards. The thing will kill you by failing catastrophically. If a US company made them they'd be too expensive to operate unfortunately but zipping to work on a jet bike in under 10 min has always been a fantasy of mine.

[putnam6]

I'm not talking from an ATC standpoint, their manufacturing process is subpar to our ISO 9000 and AS9100D standards. The thing will kill you by failing catastrophically. If a US company made them they'd be too expensive to operate unfortunately but zipping to work on a jet bike in under 10 min has always been a fantasy of mine.

I was just pointing out we are years away from people falling out of the sky because of substandard Chinese personal drones. 

I asked Grok about Tesla's autonomous driver; right now, they are at 1 human intervention every 500; they need to have a success rate of only 1 human intervention in 10,000 miles to be considered even close to full rollout.  A personal air drone is hundreds of times more complex 

Not even going to mention the wireless comms kill switches on Chinese-made solar panels, you know, like the solar panels being touted a clean energy in Spain And Portugal