PLANES AND CARS: TYRE could soon power your electric car as you drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sci-fi fans  a working hoverbike. Now, a British inventor has revealed a fully working version you can buy. However, there is one slight snag - it's only the third the size of the real thing. Scroll down for video +4 The hoverbike is here! The 1/3 scale version of the bike being piloted by a 3d printed robo-pilot +4 A mockup of the full sized hoverbike, which the firm hopes to fund by selling the smaller drone version. HOW IT WORKS The 'hoverbike' is similar to a quadcopter, using four standard helicopter style rotors, overlapped with each other. It is controlled using a standard RC handset, and can also be programmed to fly a set path. A humanoid 'pilot' can also be bought or 3D printed - and has space it its head for a 3D printed. The firm says it producing a 1/3 sized version of its design to help fund the full sized prototype. 'This drone was originally built as a proof of concept for our latest full-sized Hoverbike prototype,' said Chris Malloy, the drone's inventor. 'After testing the 1/3rd Hoverbike, we realized that it had lots of features that made it a fantastic drone, not only this - selling this scale Hoverbike to the public would allow us to raise funds to continue the development of the manned version. 'The objective of this campaign is to kick-start sales of our beautiful 1/3rd scale Hoverbike drone and accessories via your pledges, and to help create a long term income stream that we can use to continue development of the manned Hoverbike,' it says. The full sized design uses a motorcycle engine and controls. However, the smaller version uses electric motors, and can be controlled using a standard RC helicopter controller. The hoverbike in action - complete with its 3D printed humanoid robot driver. +4 The drone is made up of four blade, which give it its stability. The firm says its full sized version could be used to commute on. The futuristic prototype has the potential to travel up to 92 miles or for about 45 minutes on one tank of fuel and is expected to come with a hefty price tag of more than £45,000. So far the bike, which weighs 270kgs, has only been tested while tethered to the ground to prevent it flying too high. But plans to test it's capabilities without any restrictions are set to go-ahead soon. +4 The firm will also make a 3D printable pilot, who can have a Go Pro camera fitted in his 'head' to record flights 'We combined the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter to create the world’s first flying motorcycle,' it said. '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 firm says it is almost ready to begin flight testing of the full sized version. Futuristic: Helicopter pilot Chris Malloy tests his incredible contraption - the world's first flying motorcycle Big screen: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) battle a Stormtrooper on their speeder bike in Star Wars Return of the Jedi 'We are in the final construction stages of the latest manned prototype of Hoverbike, and in a few months we will start flight testing. 'After the successful completion of test flights we will build a final engineering prototype for submission to aviation certification authorities.         Engineer plans to recreate 500mph WW2 plane that never took to the skies Near completion in 1940, Bugatti was forced to conceal the aircraft The plane survived the war hidden from the enemy but never flew Now Scottish engineer John Lawson, 59, is developing a working replica Original Bugatti 100P would have been fitted with two 450 horsepower engines and had a wingspan of nearly 27 ft (8.2m) A landmark but unflown aircraft, dubbed the 'Bugatti Veyron of the skies', is being recreated by a Scottish engineer working with a team in Oklahoma. The Bugatti 100P was described as one of the most advanced planes of its era and if it had flown, its designers believed it would have reached 500mph. At the time the air speed record, set by a German Messerschmitt in 1939, was 469mph. +7 A British engineer is behind ambitious plans to recreate a landmark but tragic aircraft, the Bugatti 100P Pictured is the original Bugatti 100P which was mothballed in 1940 to conceal it from the Germans But in 1940, and near completion, Bugatti - the Italian car designer - was forced to conceal the elegant aircraft in the hope it would not be discovered by the German military. Ettore Bugatti was keen to avoid the Nazis getting hold of the plane's cutting-edge technology, so the aircraft was packed in crates and hid in a barn in the French countryside. Mr Bugatti, who became a French citizen in between the wars, was known to dislike the Germans and had wanted to take them on in an aircraft race known as the Coupe Deutsch. The French government knew about the plane, but it could not be made in time for a deadline of September 1939 to enter the race. As the Second World War began, he decided to hide the aircraft. +7 The only aircraft built by Bugatti was resigned to history until a team of engineers and enthusiasts sets about recreating the plane. A model is pictured here It is thought that Albert Speer, one of Hitler'­s ministers, was aware of the plane and if the Nazis had got hold of the technology it could have eliminated the Spitfire. THE BUGATTI VEYRON OF THE SKIES The 100P featured a twin, mid-mounted engine design. Both engines would be eight cylinder 4.9 litre race car engines producing 450hp each. The power would be transmitted to the propellers using twin drive-shafts located just under the pilot’s elbows and attached to the double, counter-spinning propellers via  nose-mounted transmission. The wings and fuselage were designed to provide high strength at a low weight and were constructed from a multi-layer wood laminate - a concept still used by many planes today. The plane also featured cutting-edge aerodynamics with forward pitched wings, a zero-drag cooling system, and computer-directed flight control. It would have approached speeds of 500mph, a feat previously only achieved by aircraft with twice the horsepower. The 100P was also much more compact than most aircraft of the era, with a wingspan of nearly 27 ft (8.2m) and an overall length of approximately 25.25 ft (7.7m). The plane survived the war but never flew and, 70 years later, found itself in a U.S. museum too fragile to ever be restored. Aeronautical enthusiasts have long thought it was an industry tragedy that the 100P, with its stunning design and ground-breaking performance, never got the chance to fly.  The only aircraft built by Bugatti was resigned to history until a team of engineers and enthusiasts sets about recreating the plane. Musselburgh-born John Lawson, the engineering director, is one of the driving forces behind the project dubbed Le Reve Bleu. Mr Lawson, 59, who runs his own model making company in Nottingham, is a former RAF engineer and used to work on the Vulcan bomber. The trained pilot has played a vital role in designing and building the complex gearbox for the model Bugatti plane. He said: ‘The Bugatti 100P was 85 per cent complete when the Germans invaded. ‘If it had flown in 1940 then it would have been a revolution. It was an incredible aeroplane and Louis de Monge, who worked on it with Ettore Bugatti, was a brilliant engineer.' +7 Designed in collaboration with Ettore Bugatti and Belgian engineer Louis de Monge, the original 1937 Bugatti 100P is considered by many to be one of the most technologically advanced aircrafts of the era The 100P featured a twin, mid-mounted engine design. Both engines would be eight cylinder 4.9 litre race car engines producing 450hp each. HOW WAS THE PLANE POWERED? The 100P featured a twin, mid-mounted engine design. Both engines would be eight cylinder 4.9 litre race car engines producing 450hp each. The power would be transmitted to the propellers using twin drive-shafts located just under the pilot’s elbows and attached to the double, counter-spinning propellers via  nose-mounted transmission. The wings and fuselage were designed to provide high strength at a low weight and were constructed from a multi-layer wood laminate - a concept still used by many planes today. The plane also featured cutting-edge aerodynamics with forward pitched wings, a zero-drag cooling system, and computer-directed flight control. The power would be transmitted to the propellers using twin drive-shafts located just under the pilot’s elbows and attached to the double, counter-spinning propellers via  nose-mounted transmission. The wings and fuselage were designed to provide high strength at a low weight and were constructed from a multi-layer wood laminate - a concept still used by many planes today. The plane also featured cutting-edge aerodynamics with forward pitched wings, a zero-drag cooling system, and computer-directed flight control. It would have approached speeds of 500mph, a feat which had never at the time been achieved. The 100P was also much more compact than most aircraft of the era, with a wingspan of nearly 27 ft (8.2m) and an overall length of approximately 25.25 ft (7.7m). ‘However, these days it is in a very fragile state and it doesn't have an engine,' said Mr Lawson. ‘I got involved with the project four years ago after I was sent a picture of the 100P and told some people were building one. +7 The hope is for the model plane to be flying by October, and appearing across Europe at prestigious events like the Farnborough Air Show and Goodwood Revival +7 Bugatti was forced to conceal the elegant aircraft by packing it up and hiding it in a French barn to prevent the German military discovering it. It is thought Albert Steer, one of Hitler'­s ministers, was aware of the plane and if they got hold of the technology it could have eliminated the Spitfire ‘I got in touch with Scotty Wilson and he asked me if I could build a gearbox. It is a very complicated drivetrain but I thought I could have a go at reverse engineering it from the plans and photos. ‘The plane was designed to fly very fast in a straight line but the gearbox wouldn't have much longevity. So I set about seeing what was needed to give it a few hundred hours of flight. ‘It took a while but I managed to design one in computer aided design (CAD) software. I also had help from a group of engineering friends who were gearbox experts.’ After suffering some setbacks which delayed completion, a gearbox was finally manufactured before being sent out to the U.S. +7 Ettore Bugatti, who helped build the Bugatti 100p, is pictured with his son Roland in 1933. The plane would have been fitted with two 450 horsepower engines and was designed to reach speeds approaching 500mph, a feat which had never at the time been achieved Mr Lawson then met up with managing director Scotty Wilson, from Tulsa, Oklahoma and Simon Birney, a Brit who is the commercial director, in Oklahoma. They hooked the gearbox up to the plane and, to the delight of everyone involved, it ran perfectly. Designed in collaboration with Ettore Bugatti and Belgian engineer Louis de Monge, the original 1937 Bugatti 100P is considered by many to be one of the most technologically advanced aircrafts of the era. Handcrafted using largely the same materials and processes as the original, the recreation is dimensionally and aerodynamically identical to the original plane and includes elements of the five patents that Bugatti was originally awarded for the 100P. But instead of replicating the original engine, the team opted to fix their 100P with two Suzuki Hayabusa motorbike engines which develop 200bhp each - giving it a speed of more than 200mph. The aircraft will make its official global debut next month at The Mullin Automotive Museum, a Southern California institution devoted to the preservation of French art and automobiles from the Art Deco era. +7 Musselburgh-born John Lawson, the engineering director, is one of the driving forces behind the project dubbed Le Reve Bleu. The trained pilot has played a vital role in designing and building the complex gearbox for the model Bugatti plane It will be part of the Art of Bugatti exhibition and will stay there until the autumn when it will return to Oklahoma when the engines will be installed. The hope is for it to be flying by October, and appearing across Europe at prestigious events like the Farnborough Air Show and Goodwood Revival. Scotty Wilson, Le Reve Bleu managing director, said: ‘For the first time, this incredible piece of engineering and design will receive the broad recognition it deserves, 77 years later.’ Father-of-six Ettore Bugatti, born in Milan in 1881, was a pioneering sports car designer. He built his first car before his 20th birthday and started his own company in 1910. He died in Paris in 1947. According to the European Automotive Hall of Fame, ‘Bugatti's work was characterized by a unique combination of advanced yet simple engineering and artistic execution of all technical details.’ He was known for creating every Bugatti model with parts that were used in other Bugatti models - meaning they were made not just in series. His company, founded in 1909, survives to this day.

Forget charging stations, this TYRE could soon power your electric car as you drive Concept BH03 tyre was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show It is fitted with thermo-piezoelectric materials that convert heat into energy This is charged either using sunlight or from friction when the tyre rolls Firm also unveiled a second concept called 'Triple Tube' This contains tubes that adjust pressure depending on the road conditions There are no immediate plans to release these concepts But the tyre-maker said it predicts future cars will use the technology Despite the likes of auto giants Ford, BMW and Tesla releasing electric cars, the technology has yet to become mainstream. And a major sticking point is the number of charging stations available. Now Goodyear has created a concept tyre that could spell the end of these stations, and ultimately petrol cars, by charging the car as it drives.   +4 Goodyear’s concept BH03 tyre (illustrated) was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show. It is fitted with thermo-piezoelectric materials that convert heat into energy to charge an electric car without the need for a charging station. This conversion happens when the car is both stationary and moving Called BH023, the tyre concept is fitted with thermo-piezoelectric materials. When parked, sunlight heats the tyre and this heat is transformed into electricity using the thermo-electric material. The tyre has also been designed to be ‘ultra-black’ to absorb as much heat as possible. When being driven, the friction between the tyre and the road as well as the ‘squeezing’ and movement of the piezoelectric material as it rolls generates a small electric voltage. WHAT IS PIEZOELECTRICITY? Piezoelectricity is the charge that builds up in materials such as those made of crystalline and ceramic structures. Exposing them to mechanical force causes a separation of electrical charge, which sets up a voltage that can be used to charge products. When a piezoelectric material is squeezed rapidly, it produces a small electrical voltage for a moment. If a voltage is put across the material it makes a tiny change in shape. In 2001, Trevor Baylis, the British inventor best known for his wind-up radios, famously walked 100 miles across the Namib desert in his ’Electric Shoes’, which charged a small battery that allowed him to use his mobile phone. This electricity is captured and directed to the car’s battery to charge it as it moves. ‘This tyre generates electricity through the action of materials in the tyre that capture and transform the energy created by heat when it flexes as it rolls during normal driving conditions,’ explained Goodyear. ‘The materials used would optimise the tyre's electricity generation capabilities as well as its rolling resistance. ‘As demand for electric cars grows, this technology has the potential to significantly contribute to the solution of future mobility challenges. ‘This visionary tyre technology could eliminate the vehicle-range anxiety motorists may have with electric cars.’ Goodyear also unveiled a second concept called ‘Triple Tube’. This tyre features three internal tubes located beneath the tread near the inboard and outboard shoulders of the tyre, as well as the centre. It relies on an internal pump that moves air from the main air chamber to the three individual air chambers, or tubes. Goodyear's new car tyre could power your electric car +4 When parked, sunlight heats the tyre and this heat is transformed into electricity using the thermo-electric material. The tyre has also been designed to be ‘ultra-black’ to absorb as much heat as possible The tyre automatically adjusts - on its own - to three different positions based on road conditions and modes include the Eco/Safety, Sporty and Wet Traction. Eco/Safety offers maximum inflation in all three tubes and reduces rolling resistance. The Sporty position, with reduced inflation in the inboard shoulder tube, gives drivers more control of the car. +4 When being driven, the friction between the tyre and the road as well as the ‘squeezing’ and movement of the piezoelectric material as it rolls generates a small electric voltage. Goodyear said the materials used would optimise the tyre's electricity generation capabilities as well as its rolling resistance +4 This electricity is captured and directed to the car’s battery (illustrated) to charge it as it moves. There are no immediate plans to release the concept but the tyre-maker said it predicts future cars will use the technology While the Wet Traction position, with maximimum inflation in the centre tube, stops the car from aquaplaning thanks to a raised tread in the centre of the tyre. There are no immediate plans to release these concepts but the tyre-maker said it predicts future cars will use the technology. ‘These concept tyres reimagine the role that tyres may play in the future,’ said Joe Zekoski, Goodyear's senior vice president and chief technical officer. ‘We envision a future in which our products become more integrated with the vehicle and the consumer, more environmentally friendly and more versatile.’     The sleekest and most futuristic cars ever devised. The Dream Cars exhibit will feature 17 concept cars from the 1930s to the 21st Century and includes not just a Porsche and a Ferrari, but an outlandish bubble car, a wedge-shaped Lancia and a Batcar-style Cadillac Cyclone. The exhibition showcases what Europeans and Americans thought the cars of the future would look like. The exhibit takes place at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in Georgia, USA, and also stars the rocket-shaped Generals Motors Firebird I, the eye-catching Ferrari Pininfarina and the mouth-watering BMW Gina. Concept cars like these rarely make it to market and are purely to showcase the realms of possibility. The exhibit opens May 22 and lasts until September 7. Museum director Michael Shapiro said: 'Our previous exhibition was tremendously successful in bringing new audiences to the museum. 'With Dream Cars, we continue our commitment to showcasing the importance of design and encouraging future innovation.' Scroll down for video +17 Sleek: One of the exhibits at the High Museum of Art will be this 1936 Stout Scarab +17 Smooth lines: Designers in 1947 came up with this curvy number by Timbs +17 The ultimate driving machine: BMW is known for its easy-on-the-eye designs, but surpassed themselves with the space-age Gina +17 Wheel-y special: The Ford Speedster turned plenty of heads when it was designed in 1932 - and is still doing so to this day +17 Clunky: The 1948 Tasco featured some rather imposing week covers +17 Lightning fast: The Chrysler Thunderbolt, which the car manufacturer first showcased in 1941 +17 Aerodynamic: Bugatti is known today for its thunderous Veyron, but has been producing stunning designs for a while, as this 1935 Aerolithe shows The exhibit includes the 1935 Aerolithe Bugatti   +17 Plane speaking: The idea behind the 1951 GM Le Sabre was to showcase how jet-fighter aesthetics could be incorporated into a car +17 Brown-ian motion: The Lancia Stratos Zero, made in 1970, was as sleek as they come, though it's not entirely clear how you'd climb inside +17 It went like a rocket: It's not difficult to work out what the inspiration for the 1954 Firebird I was +17 Rapid: The 1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne could reach a fairly brisk 80mph, which was very fast for the day +17 How low can you go? The 1970 Ferrari Pininfarina 512 S kept its nose to the ground +17 Lightweight: The 1956 Buick Centurion had a fibreglass body and a bubbledome roof +17 Streamlined: The 1955 Ghia Gilda features striking tailfins and an air-slicing design +17 Eggs-cellent: 1942's L'oeuf Electrique - which means 'electric egg' - weighted just 60kg and could zip along at 37mph with two people on board +17 Imposing: Porsche's 2010 Spyder which boasts side exhausts reminiscent of yesteryear's racing cars Air we go: The 1959 Cadillac Cyclone boasted a radar crash avoidance system and front-facing exhaust pipes - and looks a bit like an early Batcar