A motorcycle that turns into a drone: Lazareth shows off the transportation of the future that can fly and drive on the road
The French company Lazareth presented a flying electric motorcycle with jet engines LMV 496 and demonstrated it in action.
The LMV 496 is a four-wheeled electric motorcycle in which each wheel is simultaneously an air rotor. As soon as the bike goes into flight mode, its wheels unfold and the bike takes off. The wheels rotate until they are horizontal and the motorcycle turns into a quadcopter.
The LMV 496 is a 2-in-1 vehicle that can fly and travel on the road like any motorcycle. Ludovic Lazaret, the developer of the motorcycle, explains that the LMV 496 has been approved for road use. He presents his mechanical brainchild as “an electric motorcycle approved for road use that turns into a drone.”
The LMV 496 flying motorcycle is powered by an electric motor capable of providing a range of 100 km. It is equipped with four horizontal jet turbines – one in each corner – that provide 1300 horsepower of thrust, which means that the motorcycle can fly for 10 minutes. The turbines are powered by kerosene, which means that the electric motor is not used when the motorcycle is in the air.
All wheels are also equipped with parachutes that can be quickly deployed in case of problems during the flight. You can control this bike with a joystick or a handlebar while flying in the air. The maximum supported load is one ton.
The company claims that they built this 140-kilogram bike in such a way that everyone can ride it. Its seats are very comfortable and the steering wheel is very light. At the same time, the motorcycle uses TFX suspension technology, which makes riding comfortable. Its braking system and chassis technology are borrowed from other Lazareth vehicles.
