Dancing the Polka

It’s difficult to guess why LEO Flight Corp has decided to call this a bike. It lacks pretty much all the characteristics of anything that we would normally use that word for, be it a motorcycle or bicycle. But, I suppose “flying bike” sounds better than “flying death chair.”

In fact, the LEO Solo – which is now available for pre-order – is an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle that describes itself as “practical” and “built around safety” while very clearly not being either of those things.

It is a cool idea, though. 

It’s the brainchild of Peter Bitar and Carlos Salaff. The former is a big-sky thinker who online magazine New Atlas describes as “an emerging patron saint of unfinished projects,” while the latter is a former Mazda engineer.

Bitar has a long history of making things that fly… sort of. Although they have travelled through the air – sometimes looking markedly less than safe – none of his projects have ever really gotten off the ground, so to speak.

Clearly, the hope is that the LEO Solo will change things. With an asking price just shy of $100,000 (roughly £75,000 at current exchange rates), the LEO Solo claims to be capable of staying in the air for up to 15 minutes on a single charge, with a top speed of 60 mph.

Since you really wouldn’t want to be airborne when this thing runs out of juice, let’s say it has a range of about 8-10 miles at best, depending on weather conditions, bravery, etc.

The LEO Solo doesn’t require a license to fly (What could go wrong there?), and as part of that it has a maximum altitude of 15 feet.

So, again, when Leo Flight describes this thing as offering “Practical Personal Flight,” you can’t help but think it’s stretching the definition of ‘practical.’ Well, I suppose it’s practical when compared to being hurled through the ether by a trebuchet.

Looking a bit like a futuristic lounge chair strapped to a table filled with those mini personal fans you buy at John Lewis (you know, the really nice ones), the LEO Solo appears to be a woefully inefficient vehicle, according to New Atlas.

“Wingless VTOL aircraft need constant vertical thrust to stay in the air,” writes Joe Salas. “Today’s high-powered batteries are still very heavy for the amount of energy they carry. And these kinds of small electric jets are a highly inefficient way of delivering constant vertical thrust from a heavy battery pack.”

LEO Flight says the vehicle will run off a solid state battery, which may help a little in the efficiency stakes.

If you’re interested, LEO Flight is taking $999 deposits now. The deposits are, at least, fully refundable. 

With the total cost so high, and the vehicle so incredibly impractical for anyone who doesn’t own a sprawling patch of ranch land, I am doubtful about the success of this endeavour. But God loves a trier, and it does seem the world is full of ludicrously rich people. I can imagine this vehicle being the source of some rich eccentric’s demise. 

This thing is probably how Bad Bunny dies.