Flying solo like a bird has been humanity’s long-time dream. Amid various ways and options already figured out, the idea has not reached mass adoption. Wingsuits and jetpacks are only flying people for experimental purposes. Beyond those, there has been a vision to build electric and solar-powered propulsion systems to get us off the ground, and that dream is now taking a turn into the realm of reality with the world’s first electric air speeder, the LEO Solo JetBike.
Honestly, when I first saw the LEO Solo in pictures, it looked like a work desk with an attached chair: some sort of a gaming rig. But a closer look revealed what this mean machine actually is, and then the video just scaled the excitement to the next level. The hands-on experience of this Jetbike shows it hovering some inches above the ground in a stable flight, which would definitely be elevated to a more practical height in the days leading up to its scheduled launch.
Designer:
Pete Bitar and Carlos Salaff, the founders of LEO Flight, have been chasing the dream of electric-powered flight for the longest time. After numerous renders and prototypes, they have finally arrived at the LEO Solo, which has had its fair share of touch-and-go moments, but it’s finally here and gearing up to be flown without the need for a pilot’s license. This single-seat personal eVTOL is a small bike built to carry just the rider.
The LEO Solo is developed in a compact 6.5 × 6.5 ft footprint and is built on a propeller-free electric jet propulsion system, which allows the personal air vehicle to reach a top speed of 60 mph. You can definitely not take this for an experimental object. At that speed, it can easily fly at an altitude of up to 15 ft high, stably and at very low noise (approximately 80 dB). According to the company’s press information, the LEO Solo can remain airborne for 10–15 minutes and fly at a noise level lower than that of a Dyson vacuum cleaner. So, tomorrow when you’re landing in your backyard late at night, you can do that as discreetly as parking your car.
With its compact form factor, it can easily fit in a standard garage and charge its onboard solid-state battery in there. What makes the Solo really interesting are its 48 little fans, spread across its front and the back platforms, which allow it to lift off without wings or rotors. If this sounds like something you would want to own, you can reserve your LEO Solo JetBike now for a refundable deposit of $999. According to the company, it’s going into production in late 2025, which means any time now!
The post first appeared on .
Related Posts
