Flying vehicles are not an impossible dream, at least according to California-based Aerofex, who intends to launch something that resembles quite a lot the speeder bikes from Star Wars.

In the not so distant future, roads could serve the simple role of guiding us to our destination, instead of offering support for our cars, as they do today. Flying cars and bicycles seemed like something one could only see in sci-fi flicks, but fiction is rapidly turning into fact as hovering bicycles make their way into our lives. Aero-X is a definite example of how flying vehicles could look and work, and we only have to wait till 2017 to see them on our streets.

According to Mark De Roche, the founder of Aerofex, “The Aero-X’s intuitive operation, low cost, and unique capabilities make it suitable for disaster relief, search and rescue, and patrolling borders and game parks.” Personally, I think that this Star Wars-esque hover bike could even be used for leisure and for work, even though the vehicle isn’t that fast and it can’t really carry a heavy load.

The two carbon fibers rotors can lift the Aero-X hover bike 10 feet in the air. That is probably achieved when the vehicle is not carrying two people.

In terms of speed, the hover bike made by Aerofex can travel at up to 42 mph (that seems to be a sweet spot for galaxy hitchhikers, if you know what I mean). Measuring 14.8’ in length and 6.8’ in width, the vehicle can carry a load of no more than 310 pounds.

Not only the features of the Aero-X hoverbike are spectacular, but also the design. Apparently, it will be offered either in black or in chrome, and all that for an expected price of just $85,000. Indeed, this is a bit of a steep price for a bicycle made for two, but the thing is that you don’t see flying hoverbikes every day, now do you? The company is currently accepting deposits of $5,000 for pre-orders.

Below is a clip from August 2012 demonstrating Aerofex’s early prototypes in actions:

Is it a toy for rich kids or will it become the standard for vehicles people use? This remains to be seen, and we will surely cover the launch of the Aero-X hoverbike in 2017.

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