The Speeder is a new self-stabilizing, jet turbine-powered flying motorcycle by Jetpack Aviation. The startup California aerospace company is best known for their creation of the JB-10 jetpack – a backpack-mounted pair of jet engines built for personal flight. They have also recently launched the world’s first jetpack racing league, but that’s another story altogether.

The Speeder is not just a motorcycle-styled hovercraft, it is a craft to soar into the sky. It is still in its concept stage, but JetPack has already built out specifications and marketing collateral, and it is currently taking pre-orders for commercial versions of the flying motorcycles. Although, it will be a very limited edition as Jetpack Aviation plans to produce only 20 recreational models of the Speeder at first.

Facts And Specifications

Performance:

• 4 individual turbojet engines in a cluster (enough to lift the 231-lb (105 kg) airframe and a pilot up to 240 lb (109 kg))
• Maximum thrust of 705lbf
• Maximum speeds greater than 150mph
• Maximum endurance of up to 22min flight sessions (dependent on pilot weight and density altitude)
• Maximum altitude of 15000ft (but you’ll need your own oxygen at that height)

Features:

• It runs on kerosene (JetA or diesel fuel)
• 360° Collision avoidance
• The Speeder has VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) capability (meaning it can hover, take off, and land vertically)
• It uses a tilt-to-accelerate flight system with hand controls (similar to the JB-series jetpack)
• It is rigged up to a fly-by-wire control system that allows the Speeder to self-stabilize in the air, much like a quadcopter drone (This will also stabilize the vehicle if one of the engines fail)
• It can fly in light to moderate rain
• It is equipped with navigation and instrument lights and can fly during night
• It has a 12-inch touch screen for navigation with a customizable display. The information could include: Altitude, AirSpeed, Vertical Speed, GPS Location, Fuel Available, Fuel Burn Rate, Battery Condition and Charge Rate, Safety System Status, Radio controls, Compass, Engine RPM, Engine exhaust gas temps.
• It has a built-in two-way aviation radio system for air-to-air and air-to-ground communications
• Included with the bike purchase will be a flight suit and helmet

License Requirements:

• JPA plans to build different versions of the vehicle to fit ultralight and recreational categories under FAA law; so it can be flown on a recreational pilot certificate or sports pilot’s license
• The ultralight version will fly at only 60mph and won’t require a pilot’s license
• The experimental version is the one that will be able to fly over 150mph but it will require a formal pilot’s license.

Reserve Yours Today

If you want to have one of the twenty they are building to sell, you can reserve it now for just for US$10,000. The full cost of one is around US$380,000. Commercial deliveries of the final Speeders are aimed at some point in 2021.

After all of these are sold, the rest of their productions will be dedicated to military and other government applications. The military version will be slightly different. It will have an additional jet turbine for redundancy and extra lift, and the capability to remote-fly it as a drone or cargo carrier.