What links one of the UK's multi-billion aircraft carriers with a man on a flying motor-cycle? Well back in 2006 Chris Malloy built the 'world's first flying motorcycle', though Evel Knievel might have made the same claim since trying to span the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle back in the day.
Based in the UK, Malloy turned to heavy-lift drones instead with assistance and funds from a US university, and drones such as these are what are embarked on the multi-nation flotilla ostensibly aimed at persuading China not to invade Taiwan (as only the British are allowed to do that sort of thing).
The takeaway from this ~ and something I myself learned at cost ~ is that you can't beat selling something altogether less glamorous to the military because as Jessie J might say, in that event you can forget about the price-tag because we're paying for it.
Accordingly you'll never see rack-rates on websites devoted to building for the military for fear of embarrassment. Suffice it to say that the modestly sized fixed-wing drones the Royal Navy is also taking with them (AeroVironment's Puma) are thought to cost a quarter of a million apiece.
Nice work if you can get it, Rodney.
The pic is of plumber Colin Furze flying his own creation, but see one and you've seen them all...
