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American transportation firm Volonaut has released test footage of its Airbike, a personal aircraft resembling a flying motorcycle that uses jet engines to hover and glide through the air at speeds of up to 102 kilometres per hour.
Volonaut described the product as the "world's first flying superbike" – although for now, it can only remain airborne for up to 10 minutes at a time.
Instead of helicopter-style propellers, the Airbike is powered by multiple jet engines in a bid to ensure smoother flight and greater control.
"It feels like instantly becoming a superhero," said the company's founder Tomasz Patan, a self-taught engineer and designer who has tested the machine in a variety of contexts.
"It is a very smooth and powerful experience, just like in those dreams about flying," he told Dezeen.
Having previously developed a propeller-powered aerial vehicle called Jetson One, Patan saw the potential in using jet engines to create a product that rides more like a motorbike rather than an aircraft.
"It was something I always wanted to create since I was a kid – my very own compact personal flying device that can hover and has enough power to do what similar vehicles could do in sci-fi movies," he explained.
The Airbike's total mass is just 30 kilograms, which means it can be transported and manoeuvred by a single person.
The use of jet propulsion helps reduce the vehicle's mass and footprint, allowing the Airbike to navigate through tight spaces and safely hover even in case of partial failure, Volonaut claims.