Bay Zoltán Flike

Flike
Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd
Budapest, Hungary
www.bayzoltan.hu

The Hungarian research institute, Bay Zoltan, created a one passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) hoverbike called the Flike (portmanteau of fly and bike). The Flike is a personal tricopter for sport or Urban Air Mobility (MOB). The institute was established in 1992 by the National Committee for Technological Development (OMFB) on behalf of the government as a foundation. It was transformed from a foundation into a non-profit company in 2011. The Flike aircraft shown above was designed by Robert Kovacs, who is based in Hungary.

According to the European Union website: "The aim of Hungary's largest and most successful state-owned institution of applied research, Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd., which is named after the famous physicist, is to improve the competitiveness and efficiency of enterprises in Hungary through successful innovation and technology transfer, in close cooperation with domestic and leading foreign partner institutions."

The Flike technology demonstrator has an open cockpit, a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), a maximum payload 100 kg (220 lb), a flight time of 30-40 minutes, has six propellers, its power source is batteries and has fixed landing struts.

The company achieved its first crewed flight on March 7, 2015 at Miskolc Airfield in northeast Hungary. On April 30, 2015, it accomplished its first manned flight of more than 1 minute.

As of March 2021, we have not found any additional information on the status of the Flike project.

Specifications:

• Aircraft Type: eVTOL Hoverbike
• Piloting/Capacity: 1 passenger
• Maximum speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
• Maximum payload: 100 kg (220 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW): 400 kg (882 lb)
• Maximum altitude: 30 m (98 ft) - Electronically limited
• Flight Time: 30-40 minutes
• Range: Unknown
• Propellers: 6
• Power source: Batteries
• Cockpit: Open cockpit
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Landing gear: Tricycle fixed landing struts
• Safety Features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers and motors on the aircraft so if one or more motors or propellers fail, the other working motors and propellers can safely land the aircraft.

Resources:

• Bay Zoltán Flike web page
• Bay Zoltán Facebook
• Bay Zoltán YouTube Channel
• Bay Zoltán LinkedIn
• Bay Zoltán Wikipedia
• Video: Flike First Manned Flight, Balazs Kerulo, Mar. 10, 2015
• Video: FLIKE - Welcome Reality, Balazs Kerulo, Mar. 13, 2015
• Video: Flike controlled flight, Balazs Kerulo, May 3, 2015
• Article/Videos: First manned flight for Flike personal tricopter, New Atlas, May 29, 2021
• Article: Flike, An All Electric Personal Flying Bike, DesignBoom, May 29, 2015
• Article: Flike personal tricopter gets first manned flight test, Interesting Engineering, May 29, 2015
• Article: Hungarian hoverbike takes its first manned flight, road.cc, May 30, 2015
• Article: Tricycle Hovercraft Wants To Let You Fly Like a Jedi, Popular Science, June 2, 2015
• Article: This Hoverbike Should Replace All Cars Immediately, Huffington Post United Kingdom, June 5, 2015