Drone 3, a ‘Star Wars’-like hover bike, makes splash in concept world

From movie screen to real-life — that’s what supporters of the Malloy Aeronautics’ hovercycle project hope to bring to fruition, pointing to the Drone 3 model and its similarities with the famous “Star Wars” scene that saw stormtroopers chasing Jedi heroes through the woods on a fast-moving airborne bike.

So far, developers have managed to build a one-third scale model of the quadcopter design that’s operated by remote control, the New York Post reported. It’s called Drone 3, spans 4 feet in length, weighs 5 pounds, and is currently considered a proof-of-concept machine, the newspaper said.

And the creation campaign’s drawn a lot of interest. Researchers have raised $82,000 — far surpassing their $50,000 fundraising goal, the New York Post said.

Now the developers hope they can turn sales of Drone 3 into a full-size prototype.

The Drone 3 can collapse into a backpack-sized case, the New York Post reported.

And the developers say the ultimate bike, when completed, could yield many uses: “When compared with a helicopter, the Hoverbike is cheaper, more rugged and easier to use — and represents a whole new way to fly,” a description reads, the New York Post reported.