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"We follow the scientists around and look over their shoulders."
- Larry Niven

Flycycle  
  Combination flying motorcycle, kitchen and autodoc.  

Puppeteer-designed flying vehicle using thrusters for propulsion. Each has a self-contained medical unit, water distillation unit and a "kitchen", which can take organic matter and create edible "bricks" of food. It also contains a slave circuit that allows it to be controlled by another flycycle.

The flycycles were miracles of compact design. Aside from their individualistic saddles, they were built all alike: a pair of four foot spheres joined by the constriction that held the saddle. Half the rear section was luggage space, and there was harness for stringing additional gear.
Technovelgy from Ringworld, by Larry Niven.
Published by Ballantine in 1970
Additional resources -

Surely these are the Harley-Davidson's of Known Space. Just think of it; trading the joys of the open road for the joys of the open - sky?

For a real-life version of a flycycle, see Paraglider to fly from Greece to Egypt.

See also the steel tortoise, a slower but equally cool vehicle developed about 35 years earlier for the story Coventry, by Robert Heinlein.

(Just a little looping video of a "flycycle" (personal flying vehicle from Larry Niven's Ringworld novels) flying over an alien planet orbiting a blue giant star. Software used is Imagine2 and Terragen. Thanks to Rids at Renderosity for use of his magnificent terrain Hallowed Ground, and to Torley Wong for the music titled Xristosphan.)

Compare to the aircycle from Buck Rogers, 2430 by Nowlan and Calkin and the saddle from The Big Front Yard (1959) by Clifford Simak.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Ringworld
  More Ideas and Technology by Larry Niven
  Tech news articles related to Ringworld
  Tech news articles related to works by Larry Niven

Flycycle-related news articles:
  - Paraglider To Fly From Greece to Egypt
  - The F-Bike Flies!
  - Get Your Speeder Flying Motorcycle From Jetpack Aviation

Articles related to Transportation
CORLEO Robotic Horse Concept Looks Ready To Ride
Futuristic Transit Elevated Bus Never Really Worked
Japan Automated Cargo Transport
Tesla Electric 'Giga Train' Operational In Germany

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