Renithor

A swoop is basically a high powered antigrav engine with a seat attached, distantly related to Hoverbikes. Swoops combine antigrav generators with turbothrust engines to produce veritable speed machines. The swoop sacrifices virtually all manner of safety device in order to achieve higher speed - there are no back-up handling, accelerator or braking controls, and beyond a simple seat restraint, no protection for the pilot. Manufacturers assume that anyone brave enough to strap into a swoop is good enough to handle one under any condition - or they'll die trying. Swoop racing is an extremely popular sport in both the Valcarian Empire and in the Par'tha Expanse.

Handlebar accelerators provide swoop pilots with convenient control of the high-performance craft, while foot pedals operate lift, thrust and braking. Control auxiliaries accessed by the pilot's knees turn and angle the craft. Due to the massive acceleration rates swoops are capable of, pilots and passengers must be strapped onto the craft. Without safety straps, riders would be thrown from swoops during climbs, dives, rolls, spins and other high-powered maneuvers.

Swoops are capable of traveling at over 600 km per hour. While some have the ability to travel several kilometers above a planet's surface, they generally keep a low altitude. Many racing swoop bikes have their brakes removed to reduce weight, thus making the swoop bike faster. They also have deflector shields to protect them against impact. However, due to high speeds, many riders are thrown off and killed upon crashing into an object.