It’s not unusual to see Bugattis, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris patrolling the streets of Dubai. But even we were surprised to learn last year that Dubai’s police force had bought a fleet of flying Hoverbikes. Called the Scorpion, the futuristic Hoverbike was jointly developed by Russian company Hoversurf based in California.
A year after the Scorpion Hoverbike was showcased at the Gulf Information Technology Exposition with a white and green Dubai police livery, a new model is preparing for take-off. CNN reports that Hoversurf has now gifted Dubai Police its first production unit of the new S3 2019 Hoverbike and has begun training officers how to fly it safely.
The Hoverbike S3 2019 uses a hybrid lithium-manganese-nickel battery with a 12.3 kWh capacity, allowing riders to fly up to 40 minutes in the drone mode. It can fly 16 feet above the ground at speeds of up to 60 mph between 10 to 25 minutes depending on rider’s weight and weather conditions. Thanks to its carbon fiber body, the Hoverbike S3 weighs 253 pounds. Four heavy-duty propellers keep it airborne.
The futuristic Hoverbike will be used to access hard to reach areas in emergency situations and will be deployed by 2020 according to Brigadier Khalid Nasser Alrazooqi, general director of Dubai Police's artificial intelligence department. "Currently we have two crews already training (to pilot the hoverbike) and we're increasing the number," he told CNN.
Dubai police have exclusive rights to order as many units as they want. The Hoverbike has been designed to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines in the US, so it doesn’t require a pilot’s license to fly. You don’t have to be part of the Dubai police force to own one either, as anyone can order the Hoverbike S3 for $150,000. Orders require a $10,000 reservation deposit, and deliveries take two to six months. However, the Hoverbike S3 is so dangerous that buyers have to be assessed to make sure they can handle it.
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