BUZZCRAFT
Malloy said that the design of the Hoverbike was spurred by a comment made by his helicopter instructor. “He was an ex-Navy test pilot and kept talking to me about how the R22 [a light util- ity helicopter used for herding cattle] was a flying motorbike. I, of course, disagreed. So I set out to build a robust, workable flying motorbike. I think I’m reasonably good at seeing a design and improving on it, and the helicopter is just right for that.”
Malloy said his Hoverbike design originally was tailored to one person of average weight, but, he noted, “the beauty of the design is its scalability.” And that’s what caught the eye of ARL. Tough the military requirement would be for the Hoverbike to carry a payload of 400-800 pounds, the Army deemed the Hoverbike feasible for its TRV concept.
ARMY EVALUATION ARL has been exploring the TRV concept for about a year, assessing whether the Hoverbike technology would be an effec- tive way for Soldiers to maneuver away from ground threats. Te Baltimore Sun quoted Timothy Vong, TRV project coordinator, as saying that the Hoverbike has “the potential to unburden Soldiers while increasing their capabilities regardless of the con- ditions, in manned or unmanned operations.” Other options for the military variant could be to help Soldiers with communica- tion, reconnaissance, mine detection and equipment transport.
MULTIPLE POSSIBILITIES
The Hoverbike has “the potential to unburden Soldiers while increasing their capabilities regardless of the conditions, in manned or unmanned operations,” said Timothy Vong, TRV project coordinator. The scaled- down version of the drone Hoverbike features Cyborg Buster, a one-third scale human model. The semiarticulated Buster is designed to mimic a human pilot and has space in its head for a GoPro camera. (Images courtesy of Malloy Aeronautics)
With the initial feasibility study concluded, the Army’s next step is preparing for a full-scale TRV prototype. Over the next three to five years, the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) will partner with Malloy Aeronautics and SURVICE Engineering Co. to deliver full- sized prototypes for testing in military applications. As the TRV concept progresses through the proof-of-principle phase and successfully meets milestones, ARL will transition project lead- ership to its sister organizations within RDECOM, which will take on the responsibility of maturing the TRV concept into a defense capability.
What about private-sector applications for the Hoverbike? Will we soon see people flying Hoverbikes around the city for a bird’s- eye view of the skyline, or ranchers using them in rounding up their livestock? Yes, according to Malloy. If it works in the com- mercial world, “it will work well in the private sector,” he said.
“If I’m walking down the road in five to 10 years’ time and I see a Hoverbike working in a farmer’s field, I will be immensely happy, whether it’s mine or somebody else’s. Tis will happen.”
For more information about the Hoverbike, go to http://www.
hover-bike.com/MA/.
CONCEPT + COURAGE
CPT Selmer Sundby, Army test pilot, test-flies the Aerocycle at Fort Eustis, VA, in 1956. Sundby used the motorcycle-type handlebars to control the speed and torque of the flying platform. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Transportation Museum)
For a historical tour of AL&T over the past 53 years, go to the Army AL&T magazine archives at
http://asc.army.mil/web/magazine/ alt-magazine-archive/.
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Army AL&T Magazine October-December 2015
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