The desire to own brisk modes of transportation is on every rich person’s list. And we are not just taking super cars here. In fact, if you are in Japan you might just see one of these speeding off in the skies thanks to the efforts of the Japanese Mori Building Co. Yes, if rumors are to be believed, then you can get to Narita airport from downtown Tokyo in a matter of just 30 minutes if you hire a Hermes helicopter.

The service will be run between a rooftop in the central district of Akasaka and Narita International Airport, which are 44 miles apart and would require an hour and a half of car travel. We are told that the helicopter ride will not just save time but will also allow the passengers the luxury of looking down the splendor of Tokyo while sitting in comfy seats made from rich-brown calf leather.

The chopper, we are told, has been painted in white with orange ribbons on the sides. It will carry four passengers in each flight, some 22 times every day. The service starts from September 16 and will cost $790 for a one-way ride. But hey, that’s minus the food or drink services.

Via reuters

Now, if you were smitten by the mechanical cheetah that Alexander Chase designed and even wanted to buy it but couldn’t because it wasn’t available for sale; we have some good news to cheer your spirits up. There is an interesting being called te Triceracopter that might just impress you. As the name suggests, it is a helicopter made to look like a tricerosaurus.

It dates back to the post-Vietnam war era (1977 to be precise), inspiring the well-renowned artist Patricia Renick to reflect the obsolescence of war. The Triceracopter has been made in clay potted over a Vietnam-era U.S. Army-spec OH-6 Cayuse helicopter. And then it was giving a final touch with fiberglass.

The copter was originally put up at a solo exhibition of the artist’s at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center. And now, it has been made available for public consumption either by a ‘qualified museum, institution or individual’, we really dunno and do not care as long as there is a possibility to buy it. Start writing the check fellas!

Via jalopnik

The PD-100 Black Hornet ‘nanocopter’ is an amazing mini helicopter that comes with many features that toy helicopters don’t come with. In fact this is designed as a spy gadget which can be used by the army and since its so small, it can’t be detected easily by the enemies. The Black Hornet is controlled by the smallest and also the lightest control servo in the world.

It weighs just 0.5 grams and the electric motor helps the Black Hornet to fly at speeds of 20mph. However these will only be sold to the government and its agencies and would not be sold in public though both military and civilian versions would be released.

It would interesting to analyze how civilians could use such a spy gadget. Rather, it could even be misused and abused. Nevertheless, these Black Hornets are technological marvels and it would be nice to buy one of them, if they are ever made available.

Via: Dailymail

If that stale thought of contemporary helicopter being considered as mere compilation of spare parts flying in a fine arrangement bothers you, thereby making you revise your plans of getting one developed then here you may have a sigh of relief. Christened as Sikorsky X2, the first flight of the speedy helicopter was scheduled at the Schweizer Aircraft’s rapid prototyping facility in Horseheads, New York and am glad to share that it was successfully accomplished yesterday. The 30-minute flight was a long anticipated marker as it was initially planned to happen around two years ago.

After the testing is done, it is being said that the dual-propped fly-by-wire speedster will explode through the air at 288mph, crowning it the fastest helicopter ever developed in the world. If all plans successfully meet a reality check then the X2’s makers can consider the thought of its civilian production by 2010. Coming to technical specks, the X2 derives its power from a Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Co. (LHTEC) T800 engine that was formerly urbanized for the now obsolete RAH-66 Comanche helicopter.

With its not-so-new design, the helicopter features fly-by-wire controls and sophisticated avionics that engineers wish will contradict the high tremor issues identified in other coaxial rotor designs.

Via PointNiner/ FlightGlobal

The Draganfly offering of helicopter cameras got a welcoming response buy they say the lately unveiled Draganfly X6 is ultra-appealing. Its triple-tipped carbon fiber structure sports two carbon rotors on both ends and intelligent construction enables it move in all directions swiftly, providing sufficient control to zip about indoors yet oppose up to 18 miles per hour of wind. Monitored by a distant radio, the purpose behind the development of mini helicopter Draganflyer X6 is to lug wireless video cameras and still cameras. They say a pair of glasses would feature the same thing as the hatchet in the air, while you are footing on the floor with the handheld regulator. For safety, reconnaissance, scrutiny, damage assessment, investigation, real estate endorsement, or marketing, it is suggestible to use the high definition motion video provided by the Draganflyer X6 helicopter.

The eminent feature of the Draganflyer X6 is its miniscule structure that allows it to fly indoors againat other full-size helicopters or airplanes and is colossal enough to fly outside in winds at a speed of 30km/h (18mph). It is accessible using 11 sensors and thousands of lines of regulations to self-stabilize during flight.

Via Gizmodo / GeekAlters

Christened as The Super Sky Cycle, the flying motorcycle by Butterfly LLC, from Oklahoma is a cross flanked by a gyroplane with folding rotor cutting edges and an insubstantial, three-wheeled motorbike. Its multi functionality allows you to drive it on the road, park it in your garage or fly it through the air. The Super Sky Cycle is driven by Rotax 912ULS 100-hp four-stroke engine that can let you 55 mph in the highway speed plus a top speed in surplus of 100 mph in the voyage. Avaialble for sale over their website, the flying motorcycle costs $ 45,995 for the SSCycle(912ULS Rotax100hp) and or $ 56,995 for SCycle(Rotax Turbo 115hp). If it fails to convince you then do check out the M200G flying vehicle from Moller International all set to hit market by 2009.

Via DigiTech

It was only 10 days ago that I was floating smiles all over as Tim Burton era Batmobiles reached eBay, giving me a reason to ink a neat deal. But my happiness went two-fold when the auction was removed as I have a second good option to invest my money into i.e. Airwolf replica that is currently open for bidding at eBay .

Regrettably this Airwolf didn’t have any history of being allied to any TV series, but was developed for a helicopter museum located in Tennessee. Built on an accessible Bell 222A airframe and the side panels, its nose panels and other details replicates the real Airwolf’s specs and plans.

Check out the video:

Likewise the series, the helicopter museum doesn’t exist any more and hence all the collection is up for sale. Currently, the last bid made is $38,900, but fortunately the reserve is still not met. If by any chance you are making up your mind to bid for it then factor in the feature that it is just a replica and can’t really be flown out of your furtive mountain base.

Via TecheBlog