In a small village near Munich, a 17-year-old student has stunned engineers and aviation enthusiasts alike by constructing a working hoverbike using only scrap parts, salvaged drone motors, and a repurposed motorcycle frame.
Thomas Wagner, a high school senior with no formal engineering training, spent nearly a year building the prototype in his grandfather’s barn. The hoverbike, which can lift a person up to two meters off the ground for about six minutes, was demonstrated last weekend at a local science fair, drawing the attention of national media and even German Technical University.
“I just wanted to see if it could be done,” Thomas said. “Everyone told me it wasn’t possible with what I had. So I had to prove them wrong.”
A team of researchers from Munich has since visited Thomas’ home to study the machine, calling it “a remarkable display of raw innovation.” While the hoverbike is not yet street-legal, it has already sparked conversations about youth-led innovation and grassroots engineering across the country.