With all the technological advancements we find in modern-day motorcycles, it’s surprising that we haven’t invented flying motorcycles yet. There’s no need to worry, though, as there are quite a few companies taking the idea of a flying motorcycle very seriously.
One of them is UDX—also known as Unlimited Drone eXperience—a Czech company that wants to revolutionize personal mobility with the Airwolf, a two-seat, electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle that, if it becomes a reality, could be one of the most badass things out there.
Think of the standard recreational drone a lot of us have sitting in our sheds, workshops, or garages, but scale it up to a size where you can actually ride it. This is the very essence of UDX’s Airwolf, as just like a drone, it can take off and land vertically, as well as cruise at reasonable speed and cover quite a bit of distance.
Of course, beneath the surface, the Airwolf is so much more complicated than a DJI drone. I mean, it’s designed to carry not one, but two living souls on board, so you can bet that UDX is taking the whole safety aspect very, very seriously. Said safety comes from the eVTOL’s maneuverability, something that’s provided by its tilting propulsion pods which contain high-speed propellers encased in a housing to prevent contact with the outside world.
The combined output of the four propulsion pods is said to be 430 horsepower, and the fact that each of them can be controlled individually means that the Airwolf should have “hummingbird-like agility.”
At least, that’s what UDX claims.
So vertical landings and takeoffs should be a breeze with this thing—but what about actually covering some distance? Well, each of the propulsion pods are held in place by a structural stanchion. But if you look closer at each of these outriggers, you’ll notice that they’re contoured and shaped like wings. And that’s because they actually are wings. According to UDX, they generate about 50 percent of forward-flight lift, effectively enhancing efficiency and range.
UDX says that the Airwolf can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds, and hit a top speed of 142 miles per hour. That said, its rather hefty 639-pound build means that it can only fly for 25 minutes and cover a total distance of just 41 miles. This means that if it ever does become a reality, it’s really just a fancy toy that lets you feel like a low-flying fighter jet pilot.
Grain of salt time, as though the Airwolf is more than just a concept, UDX is still only testing a scale model of the eVTOL. The model even has a little action figure to make the whole thing look extra realistic.
UDX has even penned a price tag for the finished product—$320,000 USD. That’s literally supercar money. But hey, I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing sells like hotcakes if and when it becomes a reality.
Nevertheless, the Airwolf still has a long way to go before making it to production. Apart from the tech itself, the infrastructure side of things needs quite a bit of work. And while UDX says that you’ll need at least a sports pilot license to pilot this thing, there are still other hindrances to the mainstream application of eVTOLs.
How will vehicles like this mix and match with land vehicles like cars, trucks, and motorbikes? Are we even ready for low-flying vehicles like this, considering all the crazy things we do in our cars and on our motorcycles?
