Malloy Aeronautics, a UK-based company founded by Kiwi designer Chris Malloy, will work with U.S. defense contractor SURVICE out of its new Aberdeen, Maryland offices, to create a new class of tactical reconnaissance vehicle, with procurement availability estimated for within three to five years.

The original Hoverbike was built by Chris Malloy of New Zealand, after work and studies in his garage in suburban Sydney Australia. This project started out as a hobby, but quickly grew into a commercial enterprise, with interest from people and groups such as universities, farmers, search and rescue, private and military, with notable visits from the US Army G-3/5/7 and Locheed Martin “skunk works”

The Hoverbike is the result of years’ worth of R&D. We combined the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter to create the world’s first flying motorcycle. When compared with a helicopter, the Hoverbike is cheaper, more rugged and easier to use – and represents a whole new way to fly. The Hoverbike flies like a quadcopter, and can be flown unmanned or manned, while being a safe – low level aerial workhorse with low on-going maintenance.

The Hoverbike has been designed from the very beginning to replace conventional helicopters such as the Robinson R22 in everyday one man operational areas like cattle mustering and survey, not just for the obvious fact that it is inefficient and dangerous to place complex conventional helicopters in such harsh working environments but also from a practical commercial position in which bringing to market a cheaper better product will not only take over the existing market but can open it up to far more new customers who before could not afford the upfront costs of a typical helicopter and the very expensive and often unlooked for maintenance costs.

Source; Malloy Aeronautics