If anyone wants to know when the future arrived, tell them April 28, 2016.
That's when British inventor Colin Furze unveiled a gas-powered hoverbike that manages to do at least do the most basic requirement of something with that name: It actually gets off the ground.
It's amazing considering Furze is a plumber, not an engineer, and he has never created any kind of flying machine previously.
However, Furze has become a YouTube star thanks to a series of other crazy inventions, including a rocket-powered baby stroller, a real-life Wolverine claws, and a thermite launcher.
Take a look at the final product in this video:
It definitely looks like a lot of fun, but it's not perfect by any means. The hoverbike doesn't steer in a straight line. It just spins around. Landing is also a challenge.
Furze recognizes the hoverbike's current limitations, but any other additions would have made the bike too heavy to get off the ground.
It took Furze four or five weeks to build the prototype. He needed four flying sessions before he got the hang of it, he told Mashable.com.
"It's all on getting the engines running the same speed and how you position yourself," he said.
Popular Mechanics says the U.S. Army is trying to develop its own hoverbikes. It remains to be seen whether the military is inspired by Furze's contraption.
However, Pentagon officials might be convinced when they see the end of Furze's video where he shoots off fireworks while in the air.
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