✅ Motorcycle with a helicopter engine, technical characteristics, maximum speed

Release of a motorcycle with a helicopter engine
Technical characteristics of a motorcycle with a helicopter engine

A large number of new motorcycle models are produced annually in the world.
Manufacturers strive to make their products unique and original. Thanks to this, consumers have the opportunity to purchase those technical exhibits that will allow them to stand out on the roads during their journey. In terms of technical characteristics, all motorcycles are different. Motorcyclists, as you know, love high speeds, which make them feel free on the track. For this purpose, manufacturers use various engine options. Three years ago, Marine Turbine Technologies launched its first helicopter-powered motorcycle. It differs from all other types of motorcycles not only in its design features, but also in its technical parameters.

Motorcycle with a helicopter engine

Motorcycles in the 21st century

Where is motorcycle progress heading in our 21st century? The motor market is dominated by Japanese, Chinese and Indian manufacturers. Along with motorcycles with large engine volumes, small-capacity (less than 300 cc) motorcycles are gaining popularity. Chinese mopeds have firmly occupied the niche of cheap two-wheeled transport in developing countries in Asia and Africa. China is also actively entering the markets of Russia, Europe and America. The best Chinese-made motorcycles combine excellent speed and comfort at a reasonable price. But in terms of quality and reliability, Chinese motorcycles cannot yet compete with the top models of Japanese and European manufacturers. But budget models from famous motorcycle giants are raising more and more questions among consumers. Probably because marketing has become more important than drive, and public sector cars are produced on the same assembly lines as popular Chinese and Indians.

In addition, electric motorcycles have appeared - almost silent and without harmful emissions. They accelerate almost as quickly as gasoline ones, and sometimes even look cooler. The electric bike can be charged from a simple outlet. Motorcycle manufacturers today are quite interested in improving electric motorcycles; perhaps they are the future.

Motorcycle intake with helicopter engine

Two years ago, the MTT company presented its first creation to the motorcyclists of this world in the form of the original Y2K bike. It is equipped with an engine with a power of 320. This engine is used in helicopters. It has very high power. The developers made it so that a motorcycle with a helicopter engine could accelerate to one hundred kilometers per hour in one and a half seconds. The manufacturers of this unique motorcycle have created ultra-high-speed equipment that can reach speeds of up to 420 kilometers per hour. This is a dream for any motorcyclist.

In 2012, the motorcycle passed all tests in road conditions. It is quite suitable for use on the trails.

This motorcycle model is the best option for those motorcyclists who simply cannot imagine their life without riding fast. A speed of 400 kilometers per hour is an achievement for such a vehicle.

The design of the motorcycle of this model is original and attractive. The company produces models in a variety of colors. Therefore, consumers have the opportunity to choose the most optimal design option for themselves.

MY MOTORCYCLE

Unlike the more famous, but very similar to a modern Harley with a V-2 engine (well, you’ve all seen it, right?), in 1972 a motorcycle with a real turbojet engine appeared on American drag racing tracks.

Elon Jack Potter, better known by his nickname "Michigan Crazy," was a legend in American motorcycle drag racing. He became famous by competing in races across the country in the 1960s and 1970s on a motorcycle powered by a Chevrolet V-8 engine. Contemporaries spoke of him as a person for whom victory was not important, but what impression (or rather furor) his appearance caused in the public.

Potter raced motorcycles, bought and homemade, long before he was 16 and could get a license. Just at 16, he came up with the idea of putting a Chevrolet “eight” in a Harley frame. As far as he knew, no one had ever done this before. And although he had to deal with a bunch of technical problems - incredible vibration, unpredictable steering, the front wheel lifting off the road, as Potter himself later said - his youth and ignorance became the main guarantee of the final success of the project. In 1960, the car took to the track and reached 209 km/h.

“Ignorance is the most powerful tool, if used at the right time, sometimes it surpasses any knowledge,” he wrote self-ironically in his own memoirs, published in 1999.

In the late sixties, this same combination of extensive experience (based on his own mistakes) and useful ignorance helped him create a three-wheeled motorcycle powered by a Fairchild J44 aircraft turbojet engine, bought at a sale of decommissioned military equipment. The machine was called Widow Maker (~"Leaving wives widows"). One day, the braking parachute (yes, otherwise it wouldn’t stop) failed, and Elon had to jump off the motorcycle while moving at a speed of 193 km/h. Elon Potter was an early proponent of mandatory motorcycle helmet use.

For 13 years, Mr. Potter traveled along the highways of America. He competed in all the races, receiving from sponsors a dollar for every mile per hour over 100. The rocket-powered trike helped the owner earn more. According to the recollections of contemporaries, he usually made three races a day, earning $150. There were only three runs, because after that we had to throw away the tires.

In 1973, Elon left motorsports and took up tractor racing. Despite his crazy youth, I. J. Potter lived to be 71 years old, leaving behind a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.

He was once asked in an interview how he would compare himself and his famous contemporary Evel Knievel, to which Potter replied: “The difference between us is that he gets paid to say he wants to do something, no matter what.” Whether he succeeds or not, I’m paid only for the result.”

source vk.com/moto_infocar

Technical characteristics of a motorcycle with a helicopter engine

A motorcycle with a helicopter engine has unique characteristics. Consumers all over the world are attracted not only by its original design, but also by its technical parameters. The motorcycle itself is quite powerful.

In addition to the engine, which makes a large number of revolutions and allows the vehicle to accelerate to 400 kilometers per hour, it has other technical data that deserve attention:

fuel tank volume 34 liters,
the weight of the entire structure is 208.7 kilograms,
power 320 horsepower,
maximum speed 420 kilometers per hour,
wheel size 17,
Accelerates to maximum speed in seconds.

This hyperbike has no analogues anywhere in the world. It is a high-speed device that will appeal to any motorcyclist.

Manufacturers have tried to create a high-tech motorcycle that allows you to enjoy high speeds at any time of the year. Thanks to the gas turbine engine from the helicopter, the motorcycle became a living legend. Its cost started from 200 thousand dollars. Not every motorcyclist can afford to buy such a motorcycle, despite all the love for fast riding.

Specifications

“IZH-Marathon”, according to the Izhmash classification, was a model of a road sports motorcycle of the 500 cubic centimeter class.

The engine is a four-stroke single-cylinder with a volume of 558 cubic centimeters. The camshaft drive chain tensioning system is automatic. The balancer shaft reduced vibrations that were transmitted to the motorcycle frame.

The generator was permanent magnet with a power of 200 watts, had a contactless ignition system and an automatic ignition advance system, and worked in an oil bath. Starting the engine and driving was possible even with a completely discharged battery.

Cooling - air-oil (oil tank in the motorcycle frame), counter-air flow. Power is a Yamaha or K-65 two-barrel carburetor and an air purifier with a paper filter.

The starting system is a kick starter with an automatic decompressor, eliminating injuries during starting. The gearbox is a five-speed unit in the same housing as the engine. The motor transmission is gear-type with a damper. The transmission to the drive wheel of the motorcycle is chain. Wheels with spokes, different sizes, front - 21 inches (53 centimeters), rear - 18 inches (45 centimeters).

Braking system - drum with mechanical drive.

General description of the device

Currently, there are two types of such units. The first type is piston or internal combustion engines. The second type is air-breathing engines. In addition, a rocket engine can also act as a helicopter engine. However, it is usually not used as the main one, but is briefly included in the operation of the machine when additional power is needed, for example, during landing or takeoff.

In the past, turboprop engines were often used for installation on helicopters. They had a single-shaft design, but they began to be replaced quite strongly by other types of equipment. This became especially noticeable on multi-engine helicopters. In this type of technology, the most widely used are twin-shaft turboprop helicopter engines with a so-called free turbine.

From bicycle to motorcycle. How did the first motorcycle appear?

The first motorcycles appeared in the 19th century, almost simultaneously with the first cars. Everyone knows that the ancestor of the motorcycle is the bicycle. In the 1860s and 1870s there was a real boom in cycling in Europe, and many inventors tried to contribute to improving the bicycle. Not everyone wanted to pedal, but how could one not pedal? We need to mechanize! Therefore, attempts were made to put an engine on a bicycle. At first, the inventors tried to equip it with a steam engine. Imagine, in addition to the driver, the bicycle also had to carry a boiler with a supply of water and fuel. Two inventors in different parts of the world decided to do this almost simultaneously: Sylvester Roper in America and Louis Guillaume Perrault in France. Both came up with smaller versions of the steam engine.

A roper on the back of the bicycle saddle suspended a small boiler on springs. The fuel for it was fine coal, which had to be added periodically to the firebox. A steam engine drove the rear wheel of the bicycle through a belt. Above the cylinder there was a large smoke exhaust pipe. Some sources mention that this locomotive made such noise when moving that it terribly frightened the horses and caused terrible discontent among passers-by. Once Roper was even arrested by the police for being in a public place on a “mechanical horse.” The inventor said that his steam bicycle could reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour and climb any hill, but, unfortunately, there is no historical evidence of this. The locomotive itself has survived to this day; you can see it in Washington, at the museum at the Smithsonian Research Institution.

First steam motorcycle

Around the same time in France, Louis Guillaume Perrault also installed a steam engine on a bicycle. He placed it above the rear wheel, and alcohol served as fuel. The engine had two tanks: one with alcohol, the other with water. The alcohol, which burned in a special chamber, heated the water in the coils to the state of steam, the steam, in turn, moved the piston in the cylinder, and the torque was transmitted to the rear wheel using a belt transmission. It was possible to control the speed by adjusting the operation of the combustion chamber, and slow down by releasing steam from the cylinder. Since 2012, this famous bicycle has been in the collection of Robert Gransen.

Due to their inconvenience and high cost, both of these designs have not found widespread use.

In 1856, the world's first internal combustion engine was created, invented by the Italians Mateucci and Barsanti. It was a vertical cylinder in which a mixture of air and hydrogen or illuminating gas exploded. This type of engine became popular in 1860 thanks to Etienne Lenoir, a French inventor. Using a gas engine was much easier than a steam engine: it started easily and was safer, but still these engines were similar to steam engines - the principle of operation was almost the same, only instead of steam there was flammable gas in the cylinder. The invented internal combustion engine was as heavy as the steam engine.

The first motorcycle with an internal combustion engine Daimler Petroleum Reitwagen

In 1861, the German Gottlieb Daimler came to France to study the Lenoir engine. After that, the scientist-inventor traveled around Europe for several more years, gaining technical experience. Returning home, he became the director of a vocational technical school. It was there that he met Wilhelm Maybach, a very talented guy, a mechanic “from God.” This meeting determined the future of both motorcycles and cars. In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Maybach introduced such an engine: it used gasoline rather than flammable gas for ignition, which is much more volatile than gas and easily explodes. So, Daimler showed the world his invention: a bicycle with an internal combustion engine (internal combustion engine), Daimler Petroleum Reitwagen, which could accelerate to 12 km/h, weighed about 70 kg and had 4 wheels (two small wheels on the sides of the rear wheel, like on a modern children's bicycle). Do you know why? It's very simple: Daimler did not know how to balance and ride a bicycle. In general, the inventors did not have the goal of creating the first motorcycle; their unit was only a stand for testing the engine (after all, Daimler and Maybach wanted to equip their future cars with this engine). Maybach tested this beast. This is how the basic principles of the motorcycle’s operation were laid down. The genie was released from the bottle - motorcycle technology began to develop rapidly.

Twin-shaft units

A distinctive feature of such devices was that the turbocharger did not have a direct mechanical connection with the main rotor. The use of twin-shaft turboprop units was considered quite effective, since they made it possible to make full use of the helicopter's power structure. The thing is that in this case, the rotation speed of the main rotor of the equipment did not depend on the rotation speed of the turbocharger, this in turn made it possible to select the optimal frequency for each flight mode separately. In other words, the twin-shaft turboprop helicopter engine ensured efficient and reliable operation of the power plant.

Jet propeller drive

Helicopters also use jet propeller drive. In this case, the circumferential force will be applied directly to the propeller blades themselves, without using a heavy and complex mechanical transmission that would force the entire propeller to rotate. To create such a circumferential force, either autonomous jet engines are used, which are located on the rotor blades, or resort to the outflow of gas (compressed air). In this case, the gas will exit through special nozzle holes, which are located at the end of each blade.

As for the economical operation of a reactive drive, here it will be inferior to a mechanical one. If you choose the most economical option only among jet devices, then the best is a turbojet engine, which is located on the propeller blades. However, constructively creating such a device turned out to be too difficult, which is why such devices did not receive widespread practical use. Because of this, helicopter engine factories did not begin mass production.

The first models of turboshaft devices

The first turboshaft engines were created back in the 60–70s. It should be mentioned that at that time such equipment fully met all the needs of not only civil aviation, but also military aviation. Such units were able to provide parity, and in some cases, superiority over the inventions of competitors. The most mass production of turboshaft helicopter engines was achieved through the assembly of the TV3-117 model. It is worth noting that this device had several different modifications.

In addition to it, the D-136 model also received good distribution. Before the release of these two models, the D-25V and TV2-117 were produced, but at that time they could no longer compete with the new engines, and therefore their production was stopped. However, it is fair to say that quite a lot of them were produced, and they are still installed on those types of air transport that were released quite a long time ago.

Equipment gradation

In the mid-80s, a need arose to unify the design of a helicopter engine. To solve the problem, it was decided to bring all turboshaft and turboprop engines available at that time to a common size range. This proposal was accepted at the government level, and therefore a division into 4 categories arose.

The first category is devices with a capacity of 400 hp. s., second – 800 l. s., third - 1600 l. With. and the fourth - 3200 l. With. In addition, the creation of two more models of helicopter gas turbine engine was authorized. Their power was 250 hp. With. (0 category) and 6000 l. With. (category 5). In addition, it was assumed that each category of these devices would be capable of generating power by 15–25%.

Gas turbine engines (GTE). Dead end branch of evolution

From the very beginning of their appearance and at least throughout the first half of the 20th century, the aviation and automobile industries not only developed intensively and in parallel, but constantly exchanged experience, technologies, and components with each other. More precisely, the first always gave something to the second. Let's remember supercharging, ceramic spark plug insulators, direct fuel injection. But in the middle of the last century, it seemed that such “cooperation” had come to an end. Piston engines remained on this mortal coil, and aviation took to the skies with the help of a new type of engine - jet engines. Fortunately, the connection between these two technical branches was so strong that automotive engineers did not fail to immediately take advantage of the developments of their aviation colleagues - already in 1950, the first car tried on a gas turbine. We will talk about such a symbiosis today.

What is a gas turbine? First of all, it is a simpler engine compared to a piston engine. The main part is a shaft (or shafts) with compressor and turbine wheels. The first compresses the air and supplies it to the combustion chamber, where fuel is injected. As the combustible mixture expands, it rotates the turbine wheel. The turbine gives part of the energy to the compressor, the rest is used for movement - in the form of a jet stream (as in the photo and video below), driving a propeller, wheel, or other mechanism.

First experiments

Of course, now it is a much more complex unit, having several shafts with turbines; heat exchangers that regulate air temperature; nozzles, pipelines, combustion chambers. And yet, in its pure form, this is not an internal combustion engine with its complex timing and transformation of translational motion into rotational motion. It is not for nothing that at least a theoretical justification for the operation of a gas or, rather, a steam turbine was made in ancient times. And in the 19th century, steam units with this operating principle were developed by several engineers. At the same time, the first experiments were carried out with gas turbine engines - with gas turbine engines. The British Charles Parsons, who had already been noted for the creation of steam turbines that rotated electric generators and a steam turbine installation for a destroyer, designed a gas turbine that was supposed to be used on torpedoes. Alas, the simple device did not pass the temperature test - the gases in that engine heated up to 600-700 degrees (now up to more than 1500), and there were no metals capable of withstanding this without consequences.

As you know, the first working gas turbine engines on airplanes appeared even before the end of World War II. And even then, “ground” designers paid attention to them.

The Panther can be ranked alongside the Me-262 and He-162, which were ahead of their time. The project for equipping GTE tanks started in 1944 - heavy German armored vehicles were sorely lacking in power. In addition, it was believed that the gas turbine was capable of powering a variety of fuels that were not always of high quality. The Panther was chosen based on the size of its engine compartment, where the gas turbine engine fit lengthwise - unlike, say, the Tiger. There were several engine options (by the way, not an aviation one - the original one) and three working modifications with power from 800 to 1150 hp. The “Panther” with a gas turbine engine differed from the diesel one in the connection pipe located in the rear armor plate (photos of real prototypes have not been preserved). Defeat in the war put an end to these developments, and all documentation went to the Allies

It is interesting that they returned to the gas turbine engine in armored vehicles only in the second half of the 60s.

The Swedish tank Stridsvagn 103 (or rather, an anti-tank self-propelled artillery unit) was the first combat vehicle serially equipped with a gas turbine engine. True, a gas turbine with a power of 330 hp. was auxiliary - in case of failure of the main 240-horsepower opposed two-stroke diesel engine

But, as mentioned above, civilian designers paid attention to the gas turbine back in 1950. Kenworth engineers suddenly decided that what makes airplanes fly will make road trains crawl. Well, how to crawl? The 175-horsepower Boeing turbine made it possible to maintain cruising speed at the level of a diesel engine. True, it provided sluggish acceleration and simply consumed fuel. If in established (highway) modes it was still possible to somehow put up with its consumption, then during acceleration and braking and at idle, that is, in the city-suburbs, the appetite grew by 200 liters per “hundred”. The loud whistle of the exhaust and its temperature added to the negativity - you had to park wisely so as not to melt everything that was located at the level of the second or third floors. Was there anything positive? Weight, dimensions, absence of vibrations (not critical for trucks) and, for example, a cooling system typical of piston engines.

A multi-liter diesel engine weighed more than a ton, and a gas turbine engine weighed less than 100 kg - enough of a difference to carry an additional supply of fuel on board. But what then is the gain in mass? And it is not economically profitable. The gas turbine tractor was used and traveled around America, but soon the project was quietly abandoned

The lightweight and powerful gas turbine engine excited and excited the minds of designers. So, in the same 1950, a prototype of the Rover JET1 was built in England.

Rover JET1 was the first passenger car equipped with a gas turbine engine. Model P4 was chosen as the aggregate carrier (right photo). The turbine, designed specifically for it, was located at the rear; the exhaust gases were discharged upward to increase downforce on the rear axle. At the initial stage, the gas turbine engine operated for a few minutes, after which the shaft bearings fell apart and the wheel blades melted - there were no heat-resistant alloys. And yet the engine was brought to life; it developed 230 hp. at 55,000 rpm (at idle it was 7,000 rpm; for comparison: the Kenworth turbine spun at just over 22,000 rpm) and consumed 40-45 l/100 km, and in 1950 and 52 JET1 reached 144 and 245 km/h respectively

In 1954, Fiat got its own “turbine” car. The model, called Turbina, used a de Havilland gas turbine engine that developed 300 hp. With it, the car accelerated to 250 km/h and... went to the museum. The figure clearly shows how the drive from the engine to the drive wheels was organized. At the same time, experiments with a gas turbine were carried out by Citroen, Hotchkis, Laffly

In the USA, gas turbine engines are somewhat behind in passenger cars. But, catching up, they created several generations of concept cars at once. We're talking about GM and its gas turbine Firebird.

GM chief designer Harley Earl supported the fashion for aviation style technically. In 1953, the first gas turbine Firebird appeared (left), and before 1958 two more prototypes were produced (Firebird II in the center, Firebird III on the right). Allison turbines developed 380, 200 and 220 hp. The maximum shown by the first concept was 370 km/h. There were a lot of interesting things in the cars. We especially note the titanium body on the Firebird II and the two-cylinder piston engine on the Firebird III, which fed secondary energy consumers

In the USSR, they also came to gas turbine engines for ground transport quite early - the development of jet aviation contributed to this. Moreover, an unconventional chassis was chosen for the implementation of the project - a bus.

On the other hand, there was nothing unusual about this. There was no talk of serial production of the ZiS-127 bus (it was the one chosen as the aggregate carrier). But the interior made it possible to place instruments, equipment and testers. The TurboNAMI-053 gas turbine engine was developed specifically for land transport and in terms of power, it certainly surpassed the 180-horsepower YaAZ-206 diesel engine, developing 350 hp. The declared mileage with the gas turbine engine is 5000 km, during which the turbine demonstrated reliability and determined good dynamic characteristics. All that is said about the consumption is that it was high, but it is called “maximum speed” - 160 km/h. It’s hard to believe: was the bus chassis capable of such feats?

Second wind

None of the projects of the 50s described above received further development, much less serial continuation. However, the gas turbine topic has not sunk into oblivion. For the most part, companies that were previously only observers began to be responsible for the new round of its development. Although, for example, Rover did not stop there.

From left to right and top to bottom: Rover BRM with its X-ray, red STP Oil Treatment Special (you can clearly see where the turbine is installed), Howmet TX and Lotus 56B. From 1963 to 1971, cars with gas turbine engines participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, overseas series and Formula 1. The latter developed from 325 to 540 hp. and were better suited for fast tracks with a minimum of turns, such as the Indy 500. At the same time, reliability and service life were even higher and longer than those of piston engines. But in the USA, gas turbine engines were eventually banned - compared to traditional engines, they looked too promising. But on the Formula 1 tracks, which are full of turns, gas turbine engines did not prove themselves. The inertia of the turbine affected, which determined thoughtfulness during acceleration

What is also characteristic is that in parallel, starting from the same 50s, the gas turbine direction was persistently developed by another manufacturer - Chrysler. Another fundamental feature is that these were not sports projects, but the most civil ones. According to them, the American concern overtook its “colleagues”, bringing its developments to the end consumer. True, in a very original form. Here you also need to understand that throughout the history of the use of gas turbine engines in cars, enthusiastic engineers played a primary role in this. Colin Chapman, Harley Earl, etc. - the names of many never became generally known. At Chrysler, George Huebner became that person. It should be noted that the concern had been working on a gas turbine for aviation since the 30s, but it was the arrival of Huebner there, who became the chief engineer, that determined the theme - “GTE + car” - and the intensity of the work.

The first prototype with a gas turbine engine, the Plymouth Belveder Turbine Special (left), appeared at Chrysler in 1954. The turbine developed 100 horsepower, did not have a starter (it was started from an external compressor), but covered about 5,000 km with an average consumption of 18 l/100 km. The second prototype was released in 1958 (center). The next generation Belveder had a second generation gas turbine engine, developing 200 forces with an appetite of 12-13 l/100 km. On the right is a 1961 Dodge Turbo Dart with a third generation gas turbine engine producing 140 hp. The sedan also completed a transcontinental run of 5,000 km. It was noted that its turbine reached operating speed much faster, and acceleration occurred as follows: first, slow rolling, then extremely intense acceleration. Turbo Dart reached 96 km/h in less than 9 seconds with a top speed of 185 km/h and consumption of 14 l/100 km

1961 Chrysler TurboFlite prototype. It was on it that the third generation gas turbine engine was first installed. Under the futuristic appearance was hidden a redesigned technology - an adjustable nozzle apparatus that reduced the inertia of the turbine

In other words, Chrysler brought the design to the maximum not only to working condition, but also to consumer qualities familiar to piston engines. They also conducted surveys of potential buyers, which demonstrated that the American public is favorable towards gas turbine cars. The only thing left to do was a series. Its release (initially it was planned to create 50-75 copies, but in the end 55 cars were made) was approached with all the scale of previous work on the gas turbine engine. The exterior was created from scratch; the production of temperature-loaded turbine parts was ordered from Howmet, the same company that participated in the project to create the racing Howmet TX. Finally, the production of bodies was given to the Italian studio Ghia.

The first prototype with the name Typhoon appeared in 1962, and small-scale production began in May 1963 - already under the name Chrysler Turbine Car. 5 pre-production cars remained in the company, 50 were distributed to more than two hundred ordinary testers living throughout the United States, each for 3 months. The total mileage was almost 1,800,000 km. The “People's Test” took place against the backdrop of an aggressive advertising campaign - cars opened races, starred in films, traveled to world exhibitions, and finally were offered to everyone for a brief acquaintance

So what were the assessments of the project, which lasted from the second half of the 40s to the mid-60s? The gas turbine engine of the 4th generation already developed 130 hp. and weighed, together with the reduction gearbox (which lowered the speed from 44,000 to 5,000), less than 190 kg. The gas turbine engine did not have any vibrations, there was no carburetor (fuel was injected by a nozzle) and the need for its adjustment, or a cooling system. Thanks to two heat exchangers, the exhaust temperature did not exceed 260 degrees. Provided that the air was cleaned well, that is, the blades of the compressor and turbine wheels were preserved, the gas turbine engine retained its characteristics for the entire period of operation. In the end, the characteristic “airplane” whistle did not exceed in decibels the sound of a conventional engine, unless it was too unusual for someone.

Unfortunately, years of work and generous funding have not corrected the fundamental problems of the gas turbine. The response to the gas when accelerating from idle was still not immediate. The declared multi-fuel capability of gas turbine engines (in theory, they can be powered by all types of liquid fuel and even crushed coal) did not turn out to be true. The developers recommended diesel fuel, preferably kerosene. But in no case should gasoline, which was leaded at that time, because of the risk of damage to the blades. In addition, let us recall that American V8s easily surpassed about a decade ago. And what is 130 forces with almost 1800 kg of mass?! Consumption, especially in urban modes, impressed consumers - in a bad way and taking into account the fact that the G-8 also had a rather large appetite at that time. The gas turbine engine met the standards for carbon dioxide, but the content of nitrogen oxides was very high.

A gas turbine engine consumes a huge amount of air. Which is not important for airborne equipment, but vitally important for ground-based equipment. We're talking about air purification. Take a look at the volume of Turbine Car air filters - they take up almost more space than the turbine itself

There were destructions of turbines, albeit isolated ones. This is unlikely to be the reason for curtailing the program. It’s just that while Hübner was implementing his idea, the world around him had changed somewhat. There were strict economic regulations, a fuel crisis, and, most importantly, Chrysler needed to invest in expensive foundry production of parts for gas turbine engines, for which the company did not have the funds. Hübner continued to work, even creating gas turbines of the 5th and 6th generations. But in 1971 he admitted: - at the moment, it will not be possible to bring gas turbine engines closer in terms of the sum of their qualities to piston engines. Until 1979, the specialists remaining at Chrysler created the 7th generation, where high-temperature alloys were partially replaced by ceramics.

For a short time he experimented with a Ford gas turbine engine - in 1959, a 300-horsepower turbine was installed under the hood of a Thunderbird. This is the end of the company's passenger gas turbine program.

Heavy topic

It seems that in the 60s American manufacturers did not particularly monitor the experience of competitors. Has industrial espionage flourished? Or the desire to join aviation technology was very tempting. One way or another, but in 1964-65. three cargo prototypes equipped with gas turbine engines appeared at once.

The Ford Big Red gas turbine (left) developed 600 forces, and the road train itself, consisting of a tractor and two trailers, had a mass of 77 tons. A characteristic feature of the Chevrolet Bison (center) was a two-axle truck with front-wheel drive. Two turbines of 300 and 700 hp. located in a streamlined module behind the cabin. Chevrolet Turbo Titan III, which appeared a year later (in 1965), had a gas turbine engine with a capacity of 280 horsepower. None of these trucks even approximately became the prototype for the production model. The same can be said for GMC's Freightliner concepts

The gas turbine engine also gave birth to such fantastic projects as this Overland Train - a land train built by LeTourneau in 1962 for use by the American military in Alaska. It had a mass of 120 tons and a length of 174 m. Two motor trailers carried a pair of 870-horsepower gas turbine engines that powered generators that supplied current to each of the 54 motor wheels. The turbines were powered by a separate trailer included in the road train, dedicated to the transportation of fuel.

In the USSR, they hardly knew about all the vicissitudes of foreign operation of gas turbine engines. Although there was at least one note in the magazine “Behind the Wheel” - about the Ford turbine. Moreover, the note is more enthusiastic - they say that in some ways it is similar to a piston engine, but in many ways it is superior to it, in particular, fuel consumption is lower. It is unusual for the domestic press to praise the achievements of the capitalist West in such a manner, since just at that time a bus with a gas turbine engine was being tested in the Union. We had to wait 10 years for this topic to continue...

It is unclear whether the 1969 BelAZ-549V was mass-produced (left). Only its technical structure is known. 1200 hp turbine did not rotate the wheels - it drove a generator that generated current for the motor wheels. Since 1956, work has been carried out in Gorky to design its own gas turbine engine, as a result of which by the mid-60s the 250-horsepower GAZ-99 was created. Throughout the 70s, they experimented with it already in a 350-380-horsepower modification at KrAZ and MAZ. In the first case, a truck tractor was built, in the second, an army all-terrain vehicle, and full-scale experiments with such equipment were completed. True, later in Minsk the turbine was implanted into the six-axle MAZ-547E (in the center) and into the 12-axle MAZ-7907 (right). The latter, with a combat weight of 200 tons, intended to transport the Tselina-2 strategic missile system, used a GTD-1250 tank engine and wheel motors (all 24). It was on it that the use of a gas turbine and such a transmission scheme was obviously logical - a diesel engine with such power did not yet exist in the 80s

Europe: we can do it!

Let us note once again: it seems that every manufacturer who took on the gas turbine engine began work on it from scratch, without taking into account the experience accumulated by other companies. And if American fellow competitors stepped on the same rake, then what can we say about European companies? In the 60-80s, Leyland and MAN tried to replace diesel with turbines on trucks. Of course, things didn’t go further than prototypes.

In 1981, VW tested a turbine (apparently of its own design) installed in the NSU Ro 80. The engine developed about 150 horsepower, the average fuel consumption was 12.6 l/100 km. In the same year, Mercedes-Benz created the Auto 2000 prototype (pictured) with three promising engines - a gasoline V8, a diesel V6 and a gas turbine engine. The latter was designed in Stuttgart and was similar in characteristics to a VW engine. It is probably unnecessary to say that all this did not go further than prototypes

Results

What about gas turbines on tanks? They were used on the T-80, produced at Omsk and Kharkov. There is information that the Leopard-2 was also tested with a gas turbine engine, and in the French Leclerc the gas turbine operates as a supercharging unit, additionally rotating the generator. The T-80 is no longer produced, but its Ukrainian modifications are equipped with diesel engines. In Russia, this tank remained in service, but it does not seem to be used in any shows (exercises, biathlon, etc.), or at least not mentioned. So the Abrams is still the main actively used combat (and not only) vehicle with a gas turbine engine. And there is experience in using a gas turbine (including the T-80) - negative! Given the huge air consumption of the turbine, the need for frequent cleaning or replacement of filter elements was noted. They themselves are large in volume, which eliminates the compactness of the gas turbine engine in comparison with a diesel engine. On the T-80, it was noticed that the air filter pipes were clogged with icy snow, leading to a significant reduction in power. Its onboard fuel reserve is almost 450 liters more than the T-72. Low-temperature startups of gas turbine engines and diesel engines did not reveal the advantages of the former (as well as the latter). And what doesn’t apply to civilian vehicles is the high temperature of the exhaust gases, which increases the risk of heat-guided missiles hitting the tank.

Imagine, blowing in a wind tunnel (or in a water environment) is also typical for tanks, or more precisely, for their models. The point, of course, is not the Cx coefficient, but the way the air (the dust cloud raised by the tracks) flows around the air intakes located behind the tower. It is believed, at least in domestic sources, that the T-80 (right) has the latter located more optimally than the Abrams (left). By the way, it is known that the “American” gas turbine engine failed due to the sintering of dust particles on its blades

In a word, even in this environment the gas turbine engine was condemned. What are his future prospects? Sport? But he is an advertisement. And advertising, as you know, is the engine of trade. In addition, racing technologies sooner or later descend from the sports “heaven” onto assembly lines. And even though those engines that are used in formula or rally cars now are very far from civilian units, gas turbine engines are even further from them. Moreover, it seems, without any prospect of ever receiving serial status. Then what should you advertise?

The 2010 prototype is the Jaguar C-X75. In it, two gas turbines of 34 kg each rotate generators that generate energy for electric motors (according to various sources, two or four - motor-wheels). Perhaps, this use of a gas turbine engine is more rational, since it operates in established modes (without transitional ones), in which it can be economical. But how many prototypes have there already been...

So far, the use of gas turbines as part of hybrid power plants is questionable. Still, a gas turbine engine, which is more complex in some ways and simpler in some ways than a piston engine, requires different production technologies, in fact, different production facilities. If it does appear, it will be on some exclusive, fashion models. But it is clear that we are unlikely to see them in the form in which turbines have been used since the middle of the last century. The destiny of the gas turbine engine now is various show cars and record-breaking cars. Their photos are below.

Further development

In order to fully ensure the development and construction of new models, CIAM conducted quite extensive research work. This made it possible to obtain a scientific and technical basis (NTR), according to which the development of this area will proceed.

This NTZ indicated that the operating principle of helicopter engines of future generations should be based on the simple principle of the Brayton thermodynamic cycle. In this case, the development and construction of new units will be promising. As for the design of the new models, they should have a single-shaft gas generator, and a power turbine with a forward output of the power shaft through this gas generator. In addition, the design must also include a built-in gearbox.

In accordance with all the requirements of the scientific and technical background, work began at the Omsk Design Bureau on the production of such a helicopter engine model as the TV GDT TV-0-100, the power of this device was supposed to be 720 hp. s., and it was decided to use it on a machine such as the Ka-126. However, in the 90s, all work was stopped, despite the fact that at that time the device was quite advanced, and also had the ability to boost power to indicators such as 800–850 hp. With.

How did serial production of motorcycles begin?

First production motorcycle from Hildebrand & Wolfmüller

The first motorcycle conveyor was launched in 1894, when two technicians, Wolfmüller and Hildebrand, made a motorcycle of their own design. It was called simply: Hildebrand & Wolfmüller and was a bit like a bicycle for ladies. In total, 2 thousand of these copies were produced and they were produced for three years. The moped weighed 50 kg and could reach speeds of up to 45 km/h. These models had neither pedals nor clutch -. Manufacturers had big plans for them, because the motorcycles were sold out very quickly, despite the fact that the price was quite high (more than 1,200 German marks). It was planned to produce more than 3,000 units annually. But buyers began to pour in complaints about unsafe driving, and lawsuits as a result. All these matters ultimately led to the closure of the plant.

Three years after the start of production of these motorcycles, engines with a spark ignition system appeared on the market. This was a new stage in the development of all technology, including the structure of a motorcycle. A wave of motorcycle production has swept across the world. In developed countries, motorcycles began to be produced; their designs were largely similar, but they also had differences due to original technical solutions. In England it was (1898), in Italy - “Storero” (1899), in France - “Infantry” (1899), in Russia - “Pengern” (1901), in the USA - Harley-Davidson (1903 G).

Races have appeared. At first they were organized together with cars, and the organizer of the first such race was the Automobile Club of France (it was founded in 1895). The first motor race, specifically among motorcycles of that time, took place in Russia on October 11, 1898, although it was not officially registered. In 1899, the first officially approved motorcycle race took place in Vienna. Racing accelerated the development of motorcycle manufacturing and the search for optimal technical solutions. The motorcycle became more and more powerful and reliable.

Initially, the motorcycle was called a “motorized bicycle,” but as its popularity grew, it was decided to shorten the term to “motorcycle” (cycle from the Latin “circle”). Then the letter “P” was removed from the middle of the word, because from a spelling point of view it was considered erroneous. This is how the modern name of the motorcycle appeared.

Production at OJSC Rybinsk Motors

At the same time, Rybinsk Motors OJSC was fine-tuning an engine model such as the TV GDT RD-600V. The power of the device was 1300 liters. s., and they planned to use it for such a type of helicopter as the Ka-60. The gas generator for such a unit was made according to a fairly compact design, which included a four-stage centrifugal compressor. It had 3 axial stages and 1 centrifugal stage. The rotation speed provided by such a unit reached 6000 rpm. An excellent addition was that such an engine was additionally equipped with protection from dust and dirt, as well as from the ingress of other foreign objects. This type of engine has undergone many different tests, and its final certification was completed in 2001.

Motorcycle with helicopter engine

Today, the production of various types of equipment has advanced quite widely. This is true for almost all industries, including motorcycle manufacturing. Each manufacturer always tried to make its new model more unique and original than its competitors. Because of this desire, Marine Turbine Technologies recently released the first motorcycle that was powered by a helicopter engine. Naturally, this change greatly affected both the structural part of the machine and its technical characteristics.

Equipment parameters

Naturally, the characteristics of a motorcycle that has a helicopter engine at its disposal also has unique technical parameters. In addition to the fact that such an innovation made it possible to accelerate the motorcycle to an almost unimaginable 400 km/h, there are other properties that are also worth paying attention to.

Firstly, the fuel tank volume of this model is 34 liters. Secondly, the weight of the equipment has increased quite significantly and amounts to 208.7 kg. The power of this motorcycle is 320 horsepower. The maximum possible speed that could be achieved on such a vehicle is 420 km/h, and the size of its rims is 17 inches. The last thing worth mentioning is that the operation of the helicopter engine greatly affected the acceleration process, which is why the equipment reaches its limit in a matter of seconds.

The first such creation that Marine Turbine Technologies showed to the world was called Y2K. Here we can add that the exact acceleration time to 100 km/h takes only one and a half seconds.

To summarize all of the above, we can say that the industry for creating helicopter engines has come a long way, and the current development of technology has made it possible to use products even in equipment such as motorcycles.

MTT Turbine motorcycle with a helicopter engine - review and characteristics

We all remember the cult film “Torque”, in which one of the main characters in the climax rides a motorcycle with an engine from an MTT Turbine helicopter. The sound, which was unlike anything else, forever sank into the souls of motorcyclists around the world. However, the motorcycle has been on sale for a long time, albeit in limited editions.

Naturally, this motorcycle costs a lot of money. Its approximate cost is about 200 thousand dollars. Therefore, a test drive and other in-depth information about it is practically out of the question. However, today we will try to collect all the opinions of its owners and people who have tested the MTT Turbine motorcycle.

It can be called serial only figuratively, because no more than five MTT Turbine motorcycles are produced per year. Their number fluctuates depending on the number of orders for it. People who have tested it on the race track say that driving it on the track is pointless. He only travels in a straight line. But in a straight line he has no equal. After all, its heart is a gas turbine engine, which was produced by Rolls Royce for small private Allison helicopters.

The torque curve of this engine is tuned to deliver maximum torque throughout the entire rev range. The weight of this engine is only 61 kilograms. But the most scary thing that makes the MTT Turbine a monster on two wheels is its power. It makes 320 horsepower at 52,000 rpm, you must agree - it's impressive. The weight of the motorcycle, of course, cannot be compared with modern sports bikes, but still amounts to 227 kilograms. With a weight-to-power ratio well above one horsepower per kilogram, the MTT Turbine's powertrain pulls the entire package like a matchbox. But this makes it practically uncontrollable on the road. Testers of the MTT Turbine motorcycle spoke about its maximum speed. When accelerating, the overloads go off scale, and unlocking its full potential is simply unrealistic. The human body simply cannot stand it. It was able to accelerate to 365 km/h during testing.

An interesting point is that the MTT Turbine motorcycle is officially approved for riding on public roads. Exhaust fumes pose a danger to other road users. Their temperature is much higher and will easily melt the bumper of a car standing nearby in traffic. It is crammed with various kinds of electronic assistants. Without them, releasing him on the road would be madness. Rear view camera, large LCD screen, motion detectors front and rear. Carbon rims weigh almost nothing. This is just a small list of innovations that were applied to the MTT Turbine motorcycle.

Motorcyclist

In the Hollywood movie Torque, the main character rides a motorcycle that is as fast as the wind and picks up speed with a sound reminiscent of an airplane taking off. What is this? Prop, special effect? Few people know that this is a real device. An exotic motorcycle from the American company MTT is called MTT Turbine Superbike. You can buy it for 200 thousand dollars, provided that your turn comes, because only five of these motorcycles are produced during the year.

It should be noted that the MTT Turbine Superbike is the only legal motorcycle with a gas turbine engine that is approved for use on regular roads. The heart of the motorcycle is a modified Rolls Royce Allison 250 aviation gas turbine engine, which has power output to the shaft. The weight of the motorcycle is 227 kilograms. Of these, 61.2 kilograms come from the engine, which produces 320 horsepower at fifty-two thousand rpm.

The two-speed automatic transmission, which has a manual shift option, is capable of lowering the revs to normal motorcycle wheel speeds and increasing torque proportionally. Anyone who can tame such a flow of power can accelerate this motorcycle to 365.3 kilometers per hour. When purchasing a superbike, the customer can order the color and seat, which can be single or double. Among the equipment, it is worth noting the rear view video camera, which transmits the image to a color LCD display. In addition, the standard package includes radar detectors that scan the area in front and behind the motorcycle. Carbon wheels complement the design of the bike well.

An aircraft engine can consume automotive diesel fuel, as well as aviation kerosene. It is noteworthy that MTT does not specialize in motorcycles, but the development and use of gas turbine engines, both on land and at sea, is its strong point. That’s why the company receives orders for luxury yachts, military boats, and powerful fire pumps that drive gas turbine engines.

Gas turbine engines have long been tried to be installed on cars, but previously it was ineffective. The company's leading specialists believe that new technologies will change the situation, because the efficiency of gas turbine engines is improving and their prices are falling. The advantages of such motors are balance, a record power-to-weight ratio, and reliable lubrication. Despite the unusual nature of the gas turbine engine and its enormous power, the company promises that the motorcycle will operate for several thousand hours without rebuilding. Although owners of such exotic motorcycles are unlikely to be afraid of expensive maintenance.

SEE ALSO: MOTORCYCLE WITH A HELICOPTER ENGINE HELICOPTER WITH A MOTORCYCLE ENGINE

Flight, technical and operational characteristics of Robinson helicopters

When experts offer Robinson helicopters to a potential buyer, they focus on the unique technical characteristics of these aircraft. What parameters are we talking about and what do they mean?

Technical characteristics of helicopters are combined into groups:

Flight parameters. They describe the operational properties and capabilities of the aircraft.
Technical parameters include the type and features of the power plant, fuel consumption and tank capacity.
Operating characteristics of the rotorcraft: dimensions, weight and load capacity.

Flight characteristics of Robinson helicopters

Flight characteristics include cruising and maximum flight speeds, flight range and duration, practical and theoretical ceiling, rate of climb.

Cruising speed is the speed at which optimal engine operation is achieved. At cruising speed, fuel consumption and wear of engine parts are minimized. The indicator is:

For R22 - 177 km/h.
For R44 Raven II - 215 km/h.
For R66 - 231 km/h.

At maximum speed, the engine works at its limit and fuel consumption increases. The indicator for the Robinson R22, R44 Raven II and R66 models is 180, 240 and 259 km/h, respectively.

Flight range is the maximum distance an aircraft can travel without landing and refueling. The figures for the R22, R44 Raven II and R66 models are 463, 563 and 648 km respectively.

Do not confuse range and flight duration. The second characteristic shows how long the rotorcraft can stay in the air without refueling. The figure is 2.2, 3.5 and 3 hours for the R22, R44 Raven II and R66 models, respectively.

Climb rate is a measure of how quickly you can gain altitude. All Robinson helicopter models climb at a speed of 5 m/s or 304 m/min.

The service ceiling is the maximum altitude at which a helicopter can be flown in practice without putting excessive load on the engine. At practical altitude, the aircraft retains power reserves to climb at a speed of 0.5 meters per second. The theoretical ceiling is the height at which the aircraft stops climbing when the engine is running at full speed.

For all Robinson helicopter models, the practical ceiling is 1500 meters, and the theoretical ceiling reaches 4250 meters.

Thanks to their flight characteristics, Robinson aircraft occupy a leading position in the class of light helicopters. They offer one of the highest cruising speeds on the market. Robinson rotorcraft are also ahead of their main competitors in terms of flight range and certainly superior to all competitors in terms of pricing.

Inventor David Mayman, a jetpack pilot, has announced the production of a new aircraft billed as a "flying motorcycle." Since then, a team of engineers has been exploring different thrust configurations, flight controls and self-stabilization software options.

His company, JetPack Aviation, has completed flight testing of its first prototype and is ready to take pre-orders. The company envisions the Speeder—a very small VTOL aircraft with extremely powerful miniature jet turbines—as a recreational craft and vehicle well suited for emergency medical services (EMS) and fire and rescue operations.

The P1 prototype has an aluminum frame and was tied down during recent flight testing, achieving several standards that demonstrated the Speeder's ability to take off, climb, hover and yaw, and perform slow transitions in forward flight.

The engine mount and articulated exhaust nozzles, combined with the mechanical elements of the Speeder's control system, work in conjunction with the flight controller, consisting of a computer and flight sensors, to provide the Speeder with maneuverability.

Speeder can reach an altitude of 4500 meters and has a flight time of up to 30 minutes. With a payload on board, the automated flying motorcycle can reach a top speed of 480 km/h, although the manned version will be slower to allow the pilot to see and breathe safely.

Compact enough to be transported in a trailer, the Speeder runs on diesel or kerosene. And unlike a jetpack, it doesn't require a lot of prep work to launch—you just sit down and fly.

Jetpack Aviation is already working on the next version, P1.5, which will use a smaller chassis with carbon fiber body panels. It will be similar to the final production model and will fly untethered.

The next prototype, P2, will have a fully formed body and small removable wings. While Speeder prototypes use four engines, the final production model will include up to eight engines.

Currently, the jet turbine powered flying motorcycle burns conventional Jet A-1, kerosene or diesel fuel, but in a recent joint supply agreement with Prometheus Fuels, JetPack Aviation has committed to using 100% clean carbon fuel in all of its future operations.

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CEO David Mayman sees great potential for military, medical, fire and rescue operations. It will also be electronically self-stabilizing with servo-controlled nozzles that can quickly direct the thrust from each jet 360 degrees for lightning-fast balance adjustments and maneuvers.

Technical parameters of Robinson helicopters

Technical parameters include engine type and characteristics, fuel consumption, fuel tank capacity.

Robinson helicopters have one engine. Types R22 and R44 Raven II are equipped with piston power plants. The R66 is powered by a gas turbine engine. Piston engines are heavier and larger, but they provide economical fuel consumption. A gas turbine engine is lighter than a piston engine. It provides high flight speed, but consumes more fuel compared to a piston aircraft. But we must not forget that aviation kerosene, which gas turbine engines run on, is several times cheaper in Russia than 100 LL aviation gasoline, which is intended for piston engines.

More powerful engines consume more fuel, but are still cheaper to operate. In practice, they provide high flight speed and lifting capacity of the aircraft.

The Robinson R22 is powered by Lycoming O-360 four-cylinder engines. The power of the unit is 180 hp. With. The engine consumes about 34.5 l/h.

The Robinson R44 Raven II has a Lycoming IO-540 six-cylinder engine. Its power is 260 l/s, and its fuel consumption is about 57 l/h.

The Robinson R66 is powered by a Rolls-Royce RR300 gas turbine engine. Its power is 300 l/s, and fuel consumption reaches an average of 87 l/h.

The capacity of the standard fuel tank of the R22 model is 72.6 liters. For the R44 Raven II and R66 models, this figure is 120 and 285 liters, respectively.

Jet motorcycle and flying board: special transport for special forces

Humanity has always strived to expand the boundaries of its capabilities. Thanks to man's desire to swim underwater like fish, scuba gear and submarines appeared, and thanks to the desire to fly like birds, balloons and airplanes appeared. During the past 20th century, a huge number of ideas for creating various vehicles were generated. Some of them have become reality, some still remain only on the pages of science fiction works.

It was science fiction literature that gave the world such concepts as a flying motorcycle (hoverbike), a jetpack (jetpack) and a flying board (hoverboard). Despite numerous attempts, in the 20th century, none of the above vehicles left the prototype stage and were not implemented in any finished form.

Hoverbike from the movie “The Island”

In the 21st century, advances in electronics, sensors, and compact and powerful electric motors have made it possible to return to the idea of creating personal aircraft.

Hoverboard

The greatest success in creating a “flying board” was achieved by the French athlete and inventor Franky Zapata and his company Zapata Industries. In 2005, Zapata Industries introduced the Flyboard flying platform - a powerful pump forces water through a flexible pipe supplied from a jet ski, which is thrown down with force, allowing the pilot to fly at an altitude of up to 16 meters. The Flyboard flying platform is intended for entertainment and sports, but many solutions were developed on it, which later made it possible to create more advanced products.

Flyboard flying platform

The most breakthrough model from Zapata Industries was the Flyboard Air hoverboard. With its own weight of 25.1 kg, the Flyboard Air's carrying capacity was 102 kg, the maximum flight speed was 150-195 km/h, and the maximum ceiling was 1524 meters. Fuel tank capacity is 23.3 liters, flight duration is 10 minutes. In 2016, the Flyboard Air set a record, officially registered in the Guinness Book of Records, the flight range was 2 kilometers 252 meters, covered in 3 minutes 55 seconds.

Franky Zapata and his Flyboard Air

World record for hoverboard flight Flyboard Air

The Flyboard Air propulsion system includes four jet engines running on aviation kerosene. The fuel comes from a tank located in the backpack behind the pilot. Each engine produces about 30 kg of thrust, with a dead weight of 3 kg. In addition, the platform is equipped with a pair of additional low-inertia propfan motors to ensure fast response of the control system. The control system is another important element of the Flyboard Air; it compensates for wind gusts, weight redistribution due to pilot movements, fuel consumption, uneven engine operation with high speed and accuracy, and stabilizes the Flyboard Air’s flight.

The military parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris to mark Bastille Day featured a Flyboard Air hoverboard with a pilot armed with a rifle (or an imitation rifle), highlighting the military's interest in the technology.

Flyboard Air at a military parade, in the skies over Paris

In what capacity might hoverboards be in demand in the armed forces? If anyone imagines packs of mobile infantry attacking the enemy on flying boards, then most likely he will be disappointed. At the moment, hoverboards are still bulky, difficult to control devices, and their flight time is extremely limited.

However, there are certain tactical situations where hoverboards can be not just useful, but even indispensable.

First of all, we can talk about carrying out special operations, for example, storming buildings, freeing hostages, etc. In this case, the use of hoverboards will eliminate the need for helicopters to land on the roofs of buildings. Hoverboards are delivered to the site of the special operation by motor transport, after which a combat unit can, within a few minutes, be thrown onto the roof of a building with the necessary weapons. The advantages of this solution include the ability to assess the situation on the spot, select a non-shootable sector for deployment, taking into account the architecture of the building, and the ability to quickly retreat if necessary.

The helicopter arrives at the point, landing special forces (from the seventh minute). In this situation, the strike group could carry out a hoverboard attack from the end of the building, where it is necessary to control only one window

As another example, consider urban warfare. In this case, hoverboards can be used, for example, to drop snipers onto a high-rise building, while all passages in the building can be mined. Or they can be used to get behind a position defended by the enemy, “leaping” over an obstacle.

Also, a hoverboard can be used to reach commanding heights in mountainous areas. A caveat must be made here that this will depend on the height to which it is capable of rising relative to sea level. According to some reports, the flight altitude of Flyboard Air can reach 3000-3500 meters, which is already comparable to the flight altitude of some helicopters. If the enemy has taken an advantageous position that makes it difficult to attack him head-on, and other areas are difficult to pass, a maneuverable group on hoverboards can take a position that is more advantageous relative to the enemy’s position.

It can be argued that a hoverboard pilot is extremely vulnerable in flight, but in fact he is no more, and rather less vulnerable, than a light helicopter pilot. Minimizing the likelihood of a pilot being hit should be ensured by the suddenness of its use (there is no flight time, like a helicopter, when it can be detected from afar by the sound of the engines) and a short flight time, actually a jump. And hitting a small moving target is not as easy as it seems at first glance.

In any of the scenarios, the hoverboard is not considered as a platform for combat operations, but only as a highly mobile means of moving over short distances in specific tactical situations.

In its unmanned form, the hoverboard can be used to deliver weapons and ammunition to a blocked combat group.

Hoverbike

The idea of creating a flying motorcycle - a hoverbike - attracts people no less.
At the beginning of the 21st century, there were two ways to create hoverbikes. The first is the creation of a flying motorcycle with jet engines, the second is the creation of a flying motorcycle based on technologies used to create unmanned quadcopters. Accordingly, either liquid fuel or stored electricity in batteries is used as fuel. Each designated path has both its advantages and difficulties in implementation. One of the most interesting, and presumably close to implementation, concepts is Jetpack Aviation's Speeder jet motorcycle. Equipped with four jet engines, the Speeder will be able to reach speeds of more than 240 km/h and rise to a height of 5,000 meters with a payload of 115 kg. Initially, the jet engines are planned to be placed in the central part of the structure, but this may make it difficult to control the vehicle and will require the introduction of complex autonomous stabilization technologies, so in the future the turbines may be moved closer to the edges of the body.

The flight time will be about 30 minutes. Is it a lot or a little? Taking into account the declared maximum speed, this is about 100-120 km. It is quite enough to fly to a country residence, bypassing city traffic jams. Jetpack Aviation has already begun accepting pre-orders for the Speeder. The cost of reserving a place in line is $10,000, and the total cost of the flying motorcycle will be $380,000. The first batch will consist of only 20 cars.

The possibility of creating a military version of the jet motorcycle is being considered. It will have five engines instead of four, the payload capacity and maximum flight time will be increased.

Jetpack Aviation's Speeder jet motorcycle

Advertising presentation of the Speede hoverbike

Another example of a hoverbike, previously developed by the Russian and now American startup Hoversurf, has more modest characteristics. The Hoversurf company was founded by St. Petersburg resident Alexander Atamanov and registered in California in 2014.

His Scorpion flying motorcycle has a carbon fiber frame, thanks to which it weighs less than 114 kg, a hybrid lithium-manganese-nickel battery that can provide from 10 to 25 minutes of flight depending on the weather and the weight of the pilot. In remote control mode, the flight time will be 40 minutes. The Scorpion hoverbike can fly up to 16 meters above the ground, reaching a maximum speed of 96 km per hour.

Despite its more modest specs compared to Jetpack Aviation's Speeder, the Scorpion hoverbike is much closer to fruition. Pre-production prototypes have been shown, and a purchase order has also been opened - the price of the hoverbike will be Scorpion 150 thousand dollars. The Scorpion hoverbike is classified as an ultra-light vehicle, allowing you to fly in the US without a pilot's license.

Hoversurf Scorpion hoverbike

Scorpion hoverbike tested by Dubai police in 2019

Hoversurf plans to produce other types of similar aircraft for civil and special applications.

Hoversurf eVTOL

Looking at this and other projects that “escaped” from Russia, I would like to say that the leadership of our country should reconsider its approach to high-tech domestic startups. Otherwise, all that will remain later is to proudly say that the US helicopter industry was founded by a native of Russia, and remember numerous other similar examples.

How can hoverbikes be used by military and special forces? As in the case of hoverboards, hoverbikes should hardly be considered as combat vehicles designed for striking the enemy from the air, although such use cannot be completely ruled out in the future.

First of all, hoverbikes can be used for the rapid delivery of special forces. In the event of a terrorist threat, minutes can count. Delay will allow terrorists to equip firing points and install mine-explosive devices. At the same time, the congestion of city highways does not allow special transport to quickly move to the required positions. Hoverbikes will provide special forces with the highest speed of response to threats, which cannot be provided by any other type of vehicle.

They can perform a similar function for ground units of the armed forces - quickly deliver help, transfer weapons and ammunition over a distance of about 100 kilometers in the shortest possible time, move to positions and occupy them, ahead of the enemy. At the same time, in the future, hoverbikes can return to base in autopilot mode, so as not to further expose the fighters. Or vice versa, in unmanned mode, move to a specified point and ensure the evacuation of a ground unit.

The most important use of hoverbikes could be their use by doctors to provide emergency medical care to both civilians and military personnel in case of injury. With many types of illnesses or injuries, it’s not just minutes that count, but seconds.

Time will tell how true the expected scenarios for the use of hoverboards and hoverbikes are, but already now almost all developers of this type of aircraft provide for the possibility of their military and special use. It is highly likely that these types of aircraft will be in demand not only in the civilian market, but also as vehicles for the armed forces and special forces.