One of the most memorable scenes in the whole Star Wars trilogy was on the forest moon of Endor, when Luke and Leia were speeding through the giant redwood forest.

A scene from Star Wars featuring characters riding on iconic speeders through a dense forest landscape.
Leia speeding through the forests of Endor on a speeder.

The iconic speeders from Star Wars have remained science fiction, until now.

Polish inventor Tomasz Patan has created something called the Volonaut Airbike, a flying motorbike that looks strikingly like the one out of Star Wars.

Just now out of stealth mode, Volonaut’s Airbike is remarkable for its size, power, and maneuverability.

A split image comparing a character riding a speeder bike from the Star Wars movies on the left, and a person riding the Volonaut Airbike on the right, set against a forest backdrop.

Able to carry one rider at speeds of up to 200 kph (124 mph), the small craft is unique because of its compact design, and lack of exposed propellers.

Below is a teaser video, as well as the original launch video, showcasing the Airbike’s smooth operation.

“This “superbike for the skies” is powered by jet propulsion and is designed to carry one person with speeds up to 200km/h or 124mph. 

The Airbike’s proprietary stabilization system enhanced by a flight computer provides automatic hover and ease of control for its rider. 

The unique riding position with unobstructed 360 degree view helps the rider to quickly become one with the flying machine and provides the sensation of complete freedom.”

-Volonaut

In the teaser video, we see the Volonaut Airbike hovering above the ground and streams in this mountainous terrain.

A person in a black suit and helmet stands next to a futuristic flying motorbike in a gravel landscape with mountains in the background.

Tomasz Patan is the inventor, and he was a founder at Jetson, a company making EVTOL aircraft.

No word on when we might get to ride on something like the Airbike, but it certainly feels like the era of flying cars is coming to fruition.

A rider on the Volonaut Airbike, a flying motorbike, poses in front of mountainous terrain under a clear blue sky.

Star Wars images © LucasFilm. Volonaut images © Volonaut Airbike.


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Author

Ben VanderVeen is the founder and editor of Moss & Fog, one of the web’s longest-running visual culture destinations. Since 2009, he’s been finding and framing the most beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking work in art, architecture, design, and nature — reaching over 325,000 readers each month. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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