When we hear the name Kalashnikov Concern, one thing comes to mind, the AK rifle. You cannot be blamed for that as the company formerly known as Izhmash Concern, full embraced the name of the inventor of the AK-47, knowing that a more familiar name around the world is a richer brand to use in doing business around the world.
But nowadays, the companies makes a lot of things for the civilian shooting and the defence industry. It is easy to lose track as we mainly are more focused on the firearm part of the company, such as the new AK rifles being tested by the Russian Army for eventual adaption. Apart from weapons and destructive devices, they also make cars, motorcycles and watercraft.
Speaking of vehicles, they have something that Star Wars fans would love to own: a hoverbike. But for the company, they’d rather call it a “flying car.”
Watching the video the company released last 25 September 2017 on YouTube, the hoverbike (or flying car), it is prototype showing a contraption made of 8 rotors. These are not petrol or diesel powered, instead these are powered with electric motors with the batteries located under the rider. It has shell which is shown hear the end of the video which reminds us of the Parrot drone.
It does work and manoeuvered by the pilot. But for now electric powered aerial vehicles are limited in staying power dues to battery technology. Popular Mechanics suspect that batteries may last 30 minutes. We have seen electric powered passenger planes being tested and just like this hoverbike prototype, they can only stay aloft for a very limited time. Until a breakthrough in battery technology that would allow for flying vehicles to fly for longer periods over a much longer range, the Kalashnikov hoverbike will have to wait for now before it can be really used for day-to-day operations.
The future will be in electric powered vehicles, and Kalashnikov is in the right direction. I for one would love to ride one of these for airsoft games, be it in transporting players to the game zone, as a marshal, or as a responder to emergencies in the field. Hoverbikes make it easy to travel on any terrains as they will not require roads as compared to the wheeled vehicles.