A Russian company is apparently providing “hoverbikes” to the Dubai police. The bikes are overgrown quadcopters with nicely exposed rotors, perfect for chopping into bystanders.
To be sure, these things look cool, but I’m just as glad that I’m not one of the cops beta testing them.
The payload seems to be about 100 kilos, flight time about 30 minutes. That’s really not too shabby. Come back in a few years and these things might really be some kind of practical; extend the arms some, increase the rotor size (meaning a lower disk loading and a somewhat quieter system), improve the batteries and computer system, shave off weight with new/better composite structures, and you might have something that could be hauled around on modified ambulances and/or fire trucks for rescues from buildings and in the back end of beyond. Militaries could well want them, especially if they are optionally-manned.