Another Pass at the Personal Jetpack

Engadget is reporting that dreams of a personal jet pack may not be quite as distant as you might think. Skywalker Jets, created by Rick Herron boasts a 90-pound jet pack capable of propelling a 200-pound pilot through the air for about five minutes without the hassle of charred lower extremities. The production model, which he hopes to run past the FAA soon for approval, will only cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 — so start saving your pennies.

Comments

FAA?

[gardyloo]

The production model, which he hopes to run past the FAA soon for approval [...]

      Ah, yes. The good old "If I run fast enough it looks like my feet are off the ground" ploy.

Re:FAA?

[awesomo2001]

He sounds very confident that he will get this thing approved by the FAA. I say this might just be a good time to go to law school!

Re:FAA?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah yes, another useless toy for some idiot with more money than common sense.

Re:FAA?

[lottameez]

Declare it an instrumental war-fighting tool in "the war against terror". Slam dunk baby.

Re:FAA?

[pizza_milkshake]

...jet pack capable of propelling a 200-pound pilot through the air for about five minutes...

READ: the average slashdotter will need 2.

Re:FAA?

[vux984]

READ: the average slashdotter will need 2.

Where would the average slashdotter ever go that would take 5 whole minutes? 2.5 minutes is more than enough to get the average slashdotter to the bathroom and back, even with a side trip to the kitchen.

Re:FAA?

[T-Ranger]

Sure, but no slashdotter is average. We are either all 6'2", 130#, or 5'6", 270#.

Re:FAA?

[DurendalMac]

I'm just wondering how the hell you steer the thing. You know that a bunch of idiots wont be able to figure it out and will splatter like a loogie on the side of a building. That's probably the biggest reason the FAA is going to give a big nono to this.

Re:FAA?

[Ohreally_factor]

No doubt he'll be hearing from the ACME Corp.'s lawyers for patent infringement (just as soon as they settle that product liability case. You know the one: Coyote v. ACME).

Re:FAA?

[soft_guy]

Where would the average slashdotter ever go that would take 5 whole minutes?

Taco Bell?

Re:FAA?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Where would the average slashdotter ever go that would take 5 whole minutes?"

Flying up and down the basement stairs at their mother's house with a bladder full of used Mountain Dew and hands clinched with bags of chips burns a lot of fuel. 5 minutes won't cut it.

Re:FAA?

[kurzweilfreak]

Duh, rudder on the helmet.

Re:FAA?

[ozmanjusri]

Duh, rudder on the helmet.

Or you can use the Dutch version where the rudder is at the other end.

Re:FAA?

[SanityInAnarchy]

Hey, I'm getting there...

Re:FAA?

[moro_666]

No-Sex-Diet ? Dude, if you're on slashdot, you already _have_ it :)

ps. there are snacks that don't give you energy nor fat, there are sweets that are without sugar and there are seconds that you can afford.

Re:FAA?

[Hoi Polloi]

5 minutes? BAH! I'll stick with the tried and true "Lawn Chair Suspended from Lots of Big Balloons" method. Fly for as long as you want.

Re:FAA?

[SanityInAnarchy]

The trouble is, all these things make me think a lot harder. I'm sure I could eat absolutely everything I always ate -- eat better, even -- lose weight faster -- some people have diets that rely on snacks. But this one works for me because it's simple, too simple to forget or to cheat on, and relatively cheap (compared to diet food). Too much more complex and it'd be nutritional engineering, and I'd much rather hack my computers than my diet.

Anyway, that's not the only thing this guy's done. Shovelglove and Urban ranger, too.

Re:FAA?

[drinkypoo]

nosdiet? I got excited for a minute there, I thought the secret was to replace one meal a day with nitrous oxide. Now THAT is a diet I could get into.

I can just see it now

[AdvancedLoser]

people who forget to check how much fuel they have left while still hundreds of metres in the air plummetting down like bags of wet cement.

Re:I can just see it now

[gurudyne]

"plummetting down like bags of wet cement."

No, no. They will plummet down SCREAMING. They will SPLASH like bags of wet cement.

Re:I can just see it now

[Z0mb1eman]

What's the difference from divers who forget to check how much O2 they have before they dive?

Re:I can just see it now

[Inquisitus]

The divers are only harming themselves.

Re:I can just see it now

[linvir]

Their terrifying last moments and painful deaths aren't witnessed by dozens of bystanders.

Re:I can just see it now

[eonlabs]

Won't the darwin awards just love that.

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the difference from divers who forget to check how much O2 they have before they dive?


The diver will leave a safty margin that is larger than the whole capacity of this unit.

The JetPack capacity is up to 10 minute's flight. (of which, 9 minutes and 45 seconds should be considered reserve)

Re:I can just see it now

[hurfy]

Hopefully it works like the old paper rolls with a red stripe at the end.

If the jetpack flying over you is putting out red smoke time to duck and cover ;)

Lets see 5 min should get you halfway thru the first lesson....doh

The other problem is it will also get you HALFWAY to work, i guess you can walk the rest of the way :(

Re:I can just see it now

[CptNerd]

Paraphrasing "WKRP in Cincinnati":

"As God is my witness, I thought geeks could fly!"

Re:I can just see it now

[stunt_penguin]

Being on YouTube within about 15 seconds of hitting the ground.

Since in N.Ireland and large parts of Scotland a 'tube' is an idiot, we tend to find that YouTube is a name that can be used as an exclamation upon seeing such a video.

Ouch.

Re:I can just see it now

[scottblascocomposer]

Well, the divers can't land on you.

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

Divers can do a safe ascent without air from more than 60 feet, if needed. If diving with a buddy (generally recommended), you can breathe off the buddy's extra second stage (octopus). Watch a fellow in a jetpack run out of fuel at 60 feet and I think you'll see the difference.

Re:I can just see it now

[lionheart1327]

The difference is that they will fall on me, as opposed to quietly drowning.

Re:I can just see it now

[jdray]

This guy just needs another hot water bottle or two and he's able to go a long ways.

Re:I can just see it now

[TFoo]

The difference is the margin of error. Basic scuba diving certification teaches you how to free ascend with no air from the deepest dive you'll ever make without a backup air source (~100ft: beyond that and you start doing things like taking a backup "pony bottle" air source). In a true panic situation where you can't swim up with the air you have left, you quick-release your weight belt, start blowing out (yes, blow out!), and your natural boyancy will take you to the surface -- without weight you'll go up pretty fast. Dropping weights is only for true emergencies -- usually you can just swim up since the air in your lungs will expand as you go up, making it surprisingly easy to ascend even from relatively deep dives without additional air.

Soo, to answer your question:
        forgetting to check your compressed air: lose weight belt, feel stupid
        forgetting to check your jet pack: crash and die.

Big difference.

Re:I can just see it now

[mrobin604]

Divers dive in pairs, and you always have a secondary regulator on your equipment, in case your buddy runs out of air or has an equipment failure.

I don't think that that kind of redundancy is gonna work for the jetpack...

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

"As God is my witness, I thought jetpacks could fly..."

Re:I can just see it now

[Frightening]

Even for a diver with enough certification to allow him an independent dive without a supervisor, things are better. Your location is generally known by the people on the surface and if you pass out, you have a chance at revival.

But if you drop from the sky, you land with a splash...just like a bag of wet cement.

Re:I can just see it now

[gardyloo]

Divers dive in pairs, and you always have a secondary regulator on your equipment, in case your buddy runs out of air or has an equipment failure.

I don't think that that kind of redundancy is gonna work for the jetpack...

        Depends on how fat your flying partner is.

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

Normally I wouldn't chime in, but seeing as this is /. and there's various replies already without anyone pointing out that diving on O2 would kill you in a rather short time period I figured I'd mention it.

When diving people use compress air, not O2. The only time I know of that people breath pure O2 while diving would be in very technical diving and then only for decompression reasons.

If you're really curious about any of it I'm sure wikipedia has all sorts of information under SCUBA and Nitrox and the like.

Re:I can just see it now

[Duhavid]

Evolution in Action?

Re:I can just see it now

[kernspaltung]

...in N.Ireland and large parts of Scotland a 'tube' is an idiot...

Ah, so that's what Sen. Stevens meant when he said the Internet is a "series of tubes." So true.

Re:I can just see it now

[Trogre]

I'd like to think some kind of safety mechanism would be employed - a buzzer that screams loudly when the tank reaches 1/4 capacity, and a valve that gradually throttles the fuel lines when the tank is 1/8 capacity, forcing the rider to land gracefully.

Re:I can just see it now

[happymark]

Divers carry compressed air, not O2.

Re:I can just see it now

[afaik_ianal]

Hopefully it works like the old paper rolls with a red stripe at the end.

Heh - I misread this as "toilet paper rolls with a red stripe at the end".

Re:I can just see it now

[timeOday]

I don't know what scares me more, the fact that you're actually worried about jet pack riders raining from the sky onto your head, or the fact that you were modded to +5.

Re:I can just see it now

[Maxo-Texas]

Ah yes... forcing them gracefully to land.. in the limb chipper...

AHhhhhhhhhHHHHhhhhhhhh grrrrrriiiidddd....

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

That's where a parachute comes in.

Re:I can just see it now

[aersixb9]

Although divers can't land on people, cars can run people over, yet it's a commonly accepted part of having cars around. In a similar way, airplanes can fall on people (just as cars can run over people and/or crash through buildings), yet most people will fly in a way that prevents their expensive airplane from breaking, and also in a way that prevents them from getting hurt. A person doing both of those things will probably not crash into a building any more than cars crash into buildings. Some of the airplanes posted here weigh less than 200 lbs, and a good house should offer protection against a falling object of that mass, although many houses do not. (That would be a good feature to look for in a house purchase, in particular the ability of the house to withstand an impact from any direction, including a weapons impact) Another safety feature that most people overlook on aircraft is a parachute on the aircraft itself; this parachute can cause a wing or engine failure to turn into a safe landing. Finally, most aircraft are lightweight, and springy, and a good aircraft can be landed in a very small area, which should dramatically incrase the value of land areas that are not directly connected to a road, and ease traffic a ton. Looking at the roads from the sky, there is very little road area that can be used, and there is much air space that can be used by aircraft. Of course, people don't spend much time in aircraft, compared to how much time they spend in cars, so as more people start to use cheap, efficient, and practical aircraft there will be a bit of a learning time, when people are not so good at flying. This is true for cars, also, however there will be less aircraft when people are still mostly new to flying. ;)

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

people who forget to check how much fuel they have left while still hundreds of metres in the air plummetting down like bags of wet cement.

I sense a Darwin Award coming on!

Re:I can just see it now

[Jeremi]

Watch a fellow in a jetpack run out of fuel at 60 feet and I think you'll see the difference.

In basic Jet-Pack training they will teach you "buddy fueling", in which a jet-pack flyer who is low on fuel hooks up his fuel tanks to his buddy's fuel tanks, so that they can both land safely.

Works like a charm :^)

Re:I can just see it now

[Jeremi]

Well, the divers can't land on you

Their dropped weight belts can, though. Ouch!

Re:I can just see it now

[donaldm]

That happened to me at approx 60ft down when I went to pull my reserve and guess what my reserve was already active (so much for my pre-checks). All I did was rise while exhaling and not going up faster than my bubbles, I surfaced and quickly transferred to my snorkel. The bottom line is I did not panic.

For a jet pack I guess it does not matter if you panic or not, you are going to die if you run out of fuel at any altitude grater than a few feet. Although if you run out at a few feet you may survive with a broken leg. Remember that pack is fairly heavy.

Re:I can just see it now

[Jerry Smith]

In basic Jet-Pack training they will teach you "buddy fueling"

Your best buddy when parachute jumping is a 'Ditter', a device next to your ear, that starts screaming in your ear when you descend too fast, too low. If you can't hear your Ditter, then you don't have to worry. Anymore...

Re:I can just see it now

[Eudial]

Evolution in Action?

Natural selection in action.

Re:I can just see it now

[Inquisitus]

Where did I say I was worried?

Re:I can just see it now

[Lissajous]

Weeeelll.....if you're diving on pure O2 then if you go much below 2 metres, then you're greatly increasing your risk of going into CNS shock, having what is broadly similar in appearance to an epilleptic fit underwater and drowning. If you're staying above 2m then you shouldn't have too much of a problem reaching the surface. The lower the proportion of O2 in the gas mix, the deeper you can dive. Therefore the difference is from divers who forget to check how much O2 they have in their gas mix before they dive (too late once you're wet!).

Now I've got the anal point out of the way, and will assume that you meant checking how much *air* they have before they dive....the problem is more if you forget to check it whilst you're actually underwater! If you run out of air, then you have to head for the surface, and depending on your dive profile possibly miss a decompression stop and run the risk of DCI (the bends). Kinda like running out of fuel in an aircraft. You might survive, but if you do there's always the chance that you'll never walk again!

Of course, if you're diving beyond recreational dive limits, necessitation decompression stops, then you should damned well know about checking your equipment before you get in the water!

Re:I can just see it now

[SlashDread]

Funny you say this, mythbuster (yeah yeah, I know, Im a geek) said the main problem with jet packs would be the "no alternative" problem. Jet Pack fails? Certain death.
But how about parachutes? 200 pound brainiac, 100 jetpack + parachute, or is just the first 100 meters orso that the chute wont work?
I want a jet pack!

Re:I can just see it now

[anto]

Actually the most you are likely to be able to ascend from with no air is ~12 meters. Above this your asscent rate will probably be so high that you make it to the surface alive but rappidly die of nasty painful bends rather quickly after.

There is a reason the basic certification limits people to 15 meters.

After that your really relying on your buddy or a pony.

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what they invented recompression chambers for.

Re:I can just see it now

[HaydnH]

"Divers can do a safe ascent without air from more than 60 feet"

Without an octopus I'd say you could have a safe emergency ascent at a depth more like 30m (~100ft) which is usually the max recommended dive level for recreational diving - you could be safe deeper if there's a spare tank hanging at your decompression depth. The safe depth for an emergency ascent with an octopus is only limited by the air your buddy has in his tank.

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

Divers (except for specialist military re-breather sets of the 1950s) do not use pure oxygen. Oxygen becomes poisonous under quite low partial pressures, typically met at about 30 ft down. Then you go into convulsions and die.

Sports Divers use AIR bottles. If you want to be technical they use Oxy-Nitrogen, and deep divers may use Oxy-Helium, but they do NOT use Oxygen.

I thought the average slash-dotter would be quite au fait with the nuances of pressure medicine - at least better than the average journalist!

Re:I can just see it now

[VagaStorm]

I diver can just drop hes led belt, and he will be more or less safly returned to the surface :p

Re:I can just see it now

[indifferent children]

What's the difference from divers who forget to check how much O2 they have before they dive?

Divers can usually do a "free-ascent" if they run out of air (not O2, if they are breathing O2 below 33 feet, they have bigger problems than running out: Oxygen Toxicity). Unless you need to stop and decompress, or unless you are inside a cave or a wreck, getting to the surface isn't that hard. Even if you ought to decompress, you can get to the surface to survive, and then enjoy the bends and treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. Warning: IANADI

Re:I can just see it now

[dmatos]

Almost all recreational divers practice what is called "no decompression" diving. The time spent at depth is limited (with a fairly healthy safety margin) such that the diver can safely ascend without risk of nitrogen bubbles precipitating out of the blood or body tissues. For extra safety measures, we also throw in a 5 minute stop at 15 feet, for deeper dives (60ft+), but that is not absolutely required. It just makes things safer.

Also, under the PADI system, someone with Open Water Certification is recommended not to dive any deeper than 60 feet (~20m) for the first year, and no deeper than 100 feet (~30m) when more experienced. I'm not sure where you got the 15m number.

There is also no reason to ascend any faster than your bubbles from 60 or even 100 feet, even if you only have one lungful of air. 60ft/minute ascent rate means a little over a minute to get to the surface. As explained in previous comments, the air in your lungs expands as you rise, so it will always feel like your lungs are full even as you are letting air escape. Just don't hold your breath, or you risk embolism.

Re:I can just see it now

[Bromskloss]

yes, blow out!

Why is that?

Re:I can just see it now

[Atheose]

When you dive, the deeper you go the greater the pressure pushes on your lungs. If you have a full breath at 10 meters and dump your weights and swim to the surface without exhaling all your air, it will expand as you reach the surface and your lungs will explode. Just one of the 100+ ways you can die that they explain to you when you first get certified.

Re:I can just see it now

[b4upoo]

Divers floating about either dead or alive are an anathema to boat propellers. You can mess up a really great prop on a diver. Investing in stainless props does help ease the repair frequency.

Re:I can just see it now

[ChrisA90278]

If a diver is carying O2 it is NOT for breathing at depth. O2 is toxic at depths below about 20 to 30 feet

Re:I can just see it now

[Bromskloss]

If you have a full breath at 10 meters and dump your weights and swim to the surface without exhaling all your air, it will expand as you reach the surface and your lungs will explode.

Yes, of course, I can see that. I took it like you were supposed to push all air you had out of your lungs as quick as you could, squeezing them empty.

Re:I can just see it now

[anto]

No Deco diving means that at any time you may asscend directly to the surface with (in theory) no ill affects, it dosn't by any means signify you will make it there alive. Under PADI you should be safty stoping on *every* dive, in fact if you miss a safty stop in some Australian states you don't get to dive again that day (a silly rule apparently meant to protect silly tourists or something)

I messed up my numbers (it's been a while since I was just open water qualified) the max depth for a PADI open water is 18m -> again within the margins for someone to make it to the surface with no air left in the tank. If you are advanced open water qualified the max is signifiantly more blury but PADI put's it at 40m.

Sadly although you pretty much guarenteed to make it to the surface with a full lungful of gasses from any depth, if your ascent takes too long there is no guarantee that it will contain enough oxygen to maintain you in any kind of functioning state. With Recomended ascent rates of 10m(33ft)/min if you end up really deep with no air you will have to comprimise something to make it to the surface. Normally that comprimise is ascent time - with you potentially being forced into a boyant (uncontrolled effectivly) ascent with all the joy & embolisims that brings.

It always makes me stop & think when I look up to the surface from ~30m knowing with fins on I can probably swim there in ~10-20 seconds but to do so would probably leave me dying. It's a concept I can intelectually grasp - just not one my brain is keen on accepting as fact.

Re:I can just see it now

[dmatos]

As long as you keep your airway open when ascending, you won't risk the horribly nasty death of exploded lungs. Our instructors told us to simply say "aaaaaaaahhhh" all the way up, and that would do the trick. I think I can probably remember to say "aaaaaahhhh!" while surfacing if something catastrophic happened to my air supply!

Re:I can just see it now

[drinkypoo]

I thought they never used pure O2, I thought it was always cut with something, but just what that was changed as you went down. Like isn't the next step after nitrox heli-ox?

Re:I can just see it now

[Moofie]

"no ill affects, it dosn't by any means signify you will make it there alive."

Er, I'd think that dying would come under the rubric of an "ill effect", but what the heck do I know...

Re:I can just see it now

[Bromskloss]

As long as you keep your airway open when ascending, you won't risk the horribly nasty death of exploded lungs. Our instructors told us to simply say "aaaaaaaahhhh" all the way up, and that would do the trick. I think I can probably remember to say "aaaaaahhhh!" while surfacing if something catastrophic happened to my air supply!

That sounds very reasonable. I'll remember that. On the other hand, I wonder if I at all would manage such an ascent without inhaling water. :-/ I guess I could use some training.

Re:I can just see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

Like I said, the only time I know of they use pure O2 would be for decompression stops during very technical dives. When diving to greater than somewhere around 200ft (and most likely using multiple mixes or at the very least multiple bottles) decompression stops on the way up become a requirement rather than an extra added safety feature. The deeper you go(or the longer you stay at any given depth) the less oxygen you want to have in your mix. Nitrox/Heli-ox/Heli-air/Trimix all serve various functions that increase the depth you are able to descend to or the length of time you are able to dive at a given depth. When you increase either of those things the tissues of your body absorb the nitrogen and helium you are breathing at a rate faster than they can disipate. Stopping on the way up allows the tissue of your body to 'out gas' the nitrogen/helium before the it forms bubbles(most typically at joints) and expands as the atmospheric pressure lessens during the assent. Breathing pure O2 for a very short amount of time, or alternating between pure o2 and one of the mixed gases allows a diver to out gas and further limit the amount of nitrogen and helium they are intaking, which means fewer and shorter decompression stops.

Re:I can just see it now

[brainplay]

Actually its lose weight belt, feel stupid, curl up in feotal position as the bends kicks in. This is why diving with a buddy is pretty much mandatory. The octopus or spare air canister are more for decompression stops than anything else. (besides unless your tank is super ancient, you have a reserve built in that requires a flip of lever and $40 for a 0 air tank inspection).

Re:I can just see it now

[Jonathan_S]

What's the difference from divers who forget to check how much O2 they have before they dive?

For one thing, recreational divers (those likelier to dive without checking how much air they have) are restricted to dive profiles that don't require any decompression stages.

So from any point in their dive they are ok to make an emergency no air accent to the surface. And as long as they remember to breath out while ascending they should be fine.

It's a bit harder to make a safe fuel out descent with a jet pack. :)

Re:I can just see it now

[ProfFalcon]

Diving with just O2 will make your life very difficult and completely ruin your day with or without running out. I'm sure you meant air, not O2. Breating pure O2 at greater than 2 bars is poisonous. Mini-pedantic-me sitting on my shoulder whispering in my ear forced me to do this. Sorry. I have do what the little voices tell me to do.

Why?

[BronsCon]

I mean... sure, it will be nice for a while, when you're the only one who has one. Too many people in the crowd? need ot get through? Just blow over them.

Wait until everyone has one and the crowd is 10 feet off the ground. Bump into someone and suddenly you're plummeting to the ground.

Not to mention the short flight time. 5 minutes? I'm sure the average person would find a 90lb backpack cumbersome to carry all day if it can only carry them for 5 minutes.

Re:Why?

[linvir]

The crowd won't exactly be 10 feet off the ground. One guy will be 50 meters up and heading east to his job. Another will be 30 meters up and heading northeast. Another 100 meters up heading south, and so on and so on.

Once they've figured out the jetpack technology, they're going to have to get to work on some pretty clever crash prevention tech as well.

Re:Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't this old news? I saw a TV programme recently that showed a jet pack in action. IIRC the fuel was too expensive for more than a 5 minute trip and controlling it was a b*tch.

Thats without getting into having hundreds \ thousands of people flying about \ dropping out the sky.

The TV programme likened having all those people up in the air a bit like when you are on a busy ski slope. Which IMO is good enough reason to prevent them becoming legit. Let alone all the other issues (burglars, drunks & - I hate to say it - terrorists).

Re:Why?

[niittyniemi]

Isn't this old news?

Yes it is. I remember a couple of dudes flying around with these things attached to their backs at the LA olympics opening ceremony in 1984.

Insurance?

[__aaakhl8499]

whatever about the cost of purchasing, running and maintaining one of these - I can't imagine any insurance company taking on the risk that the pilot won't do serious damage to property and by-standers.

The insurance premium will be huge.

Re:Insurance?

[Anonymous Coward]

The insurance premium will be huge.

Insurance.. you think they're going to insure somebody on one of these things?

Ha...haha.. hahahahah!

I'd have a better chance at getting insurance by wielding a Wiley Coyote bat wing with an Acme rocket rammed up my keester!

Re:Insurance?

[tomherbst]

It will likely be similar to motorcycle insurance -- fairly cheap because the primary
victim of any accident is the now dead operator.

Like small airplanes, these will not inflict major damage to most structures. I'd
agree that it is not a great thing to have fall on your head, but the screams of the
about to die pilot should be enough warning to get out of the way.

tom

Re:Insurance?

[fprintf]

Motorcycle insurance cheap? You must not have priced sportbike insurance lately. Even with only basic insurance, for the typical low 20's rider it is in the thousands per year. Add on full coverage including collision and you are looking at multi-thousands. The only cheap bikes to insure are lower horsepower, naked bikes like the Suzuki SV650 (and awesome bike still!). Even Harleys are getting expensive, mostly because replacement parts are outrageously expensive and full replacement cost is so high.

So there is no way this thing is going to be cheap to insure. Insurance has to have a beneficiary in the case of an accident, and is based on the amount covered. If this thing costs $200,000, what would actually be insured? The jetpack? Big bucks. The operator? Given the risk of the activity, big bucks. Anything it collides with? Big bucks!

Re:Insurance?

[sponga]

So take it down to Tijuana and blow it off down there. Many countries to just take a boat/plane trip to would be a lot easier to have done there.

Re:Insurance?

[AK Marc]

You must not have priced sportbike insurance lately.

Last time I had a motorcycle, it was a sportbike in Texas in 1999. I paid about $110 per 6 months for liability. Has insurance really gone up that much on them? My car insurance has less than doubled in the past 10 years, so I'd expect me on a bike to still be less than $500 a year for basic liability.

Re:Insurance?

[soft_guy]

My motorcyle insurance was $250 for a whole year for full coverage!!

(Of course, I am in my mid 30s, have an excellent driving record, and I don't have a sports bike...)

Re:Insurance?

[Iron Condor]

Motorcycle insurance cheap? You must not have priced sportbike insurance lately. Even with only basic insurance, for the typical low 20's rider it is in the thousands per year.

You can avoid posting nonsensical gibberish like this by always keeping in mind that the earth is pretty big, many countries function different from yours, jurisdictions and corporations are not obligated to do things everywhere the same way they do it in your neighborhood.

I pay $149 every six months for alot more than just "minimal" coverage. Anybody who claims that motorcycle insurance costs more is either not grasping that this number is of course expressly tied to a certain particular location on the planet (and a certain insurance company etc.) or they're lying.

Re:Insurance?

[Belial6]

The OP is likely confused by the difference between Liability insurance and Comp/Coll insurance. It has been a few years since I was extensively in the inusrance industry, but it was not uncommon for companies to offer very low liability insurance (the kind of insurance you must have) and very high Comp/Coll insurance (the kind of insurance you should have on any vehicle you value). I even saw a few companies where the cost cost of Comp/Coll on a $6000 bike was $14000 a year. This was because they did not really want to do Comp/Coll on motorcycles, but knew that many people would be required to get the comp/coll due to a loan. So, they priced the insurance so that only the stupid would buy it.

Skywalker is a great name for a jetpack

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Gee, EveryOne Really Gets Excited Laughing Up Cool Aero-vehicles. Still, We're In Luck. Landing Seems Uncompromisingly Easy.

Re:Skywalker is a great name for a jetpack

[BronsCon]

Yay! Everyone Soars! HowEver, What If Lucas Litigates?

Re:Skywalker is a great name for a jetpack

[StikyPad]

I can't believe nobody has pointed out that it wasn't the Skywalkers who used jet packs; it was Boba Fett.

Nerds indeed.

Re:Skywalker is a great name for a jetpack

[InterestingX]

... and what ended his part in the ROTJ? Out-of-control jet pack...

Re:Skywalker is a great name for a jetpack

[dYnkYn]

I imagine he will have some problem with George Lucas' lawyer... I really think it's stupid to choose this name.

Re:Skywalker is a great name for a jetpack

[LindseyJ]

Technically, I would say it was being eaten by a giant sandpitwormthing. Which was a direct result of his out of control jetpack. Didn't Luke shoot him with a turret or something? I havn't seen ROTJ in years :P

I want the full meaning.

[spysmily1]

"without the hassle of charred lower extremities"

Instead you just have lightly baked lower extremeties with a touch of fried groins.

Re:I want the full meaning.

[gardyloo]

you just have lightly baked lower extremeties with a touch of fried groins.

      Great! I'll get one if Natalie Portman rolls all over my hot grits.

Interesting

[Marko DeBeeste]

Notice there is:

1) No video footage

2) No human being, or any other living thing anywhere near this baby

Re:Interesting

[Brickwall]

$200,000? I'd rather wait and get a Moller Skycar for $500,000.

Of course, they've been promising that baby for five years now...

Re:Interesting

[Marko DeBeeste]

I want the one with in-dash videophone and Smell-O-Vision(TM)

Re:Interesting

[virgil_disgr4ce]

On the irritating skywalkerjets.com flash website, there is a video of a manned test on the "Test 2" page. He is cabled down with a force sensor. However, there doesn't appear to be any video of somebody actually flying with this.

Why not just parachute?

[ThatGeek]

I don't understand the point of this invention. If you want to experience a couple of minutes of flight, why not just parachute?

Re:Why not just parachute?

[Anonymous Coward]

Because that would be a couple of minutes of falling.

Re:Why not just parachute?

[hdd]

kind of obvious to me...can you take off using parachute?

Re:Why not just parachute?

[RM6f9]

http://www.sixchuter.com/
next question?

Yellow bar?

[gardyloo]

Sure glad it's got that yellow bar across the front of it for safety, just in case people can't see the freaking FLAMES and SMOKE, can't smell the FLESH, and can't hear the ROAR and the SCREAMING.

Re:Yellow bar?

[Apraxhren]

That yellow bar is part of the control box, it has several switches and what looks to be a display screen. The yellow just make it look cool.

Re:Yellow bar?

[Hogwash McFly]

You forgot the 'GLAVIN' on the end.

copyright George Lucas

[mrshowtime]

Although the company's name is cool, it's a shame George Lucas is going to own this jetpack company once he finds out the owner is using one of his precious Star Wars Trademarks.

Re:copyright George Lucas

[Anonymous Coward]

That depends on the wording of the trademark.

Skywalker Jetpack does not refer to Star Wars in any way. It's just a name. For example the camel logo is trademark of O'Reilly if you associate it with Perl.

Re:copyright George Lucas

[AndresCP]

It could be worse. They could have called it the Boba Fett. Then it would have had even more overtly obvious trademark references...AND the stigma of being attached to a character who gets eaten by a stationary killing machine.

That's all well and good ...

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

Skywalker Jets, created by Rick Herron boasts a 90 pound jet pack capable of propelling a 200 pound pilot through the air
 
... but what about we Americans?

Re:That's all well and good ...

[gardyloo]

Are you questioning whether we'll be shot down by fighter jets, or whether one of our citizens will need one of the jetpacks for each limb?

Re:That's all well and good ...

[Anonymous Coward]

- 15 horse power engines (For American Market)

  That text was found on the aircrafts site under "Future Developments"!

Nitpick

[QuantumFTL]

I don't understand why this is referred to as a "jet" pack, when it is in fact powered by a rocket engine. Of course that doesn't stop me from wanting one to avoid commutes/exes...

Re:Nitpick

[isaac]

This uses air-breathing jet engines. It's a jet pack.

-Isaac

Re:Nitpick

[LordLucless]

Unless you have a 4 mile or less commute, this is not the jetpack you're looking for.

Re:Nitpick

[6ULDV8]

The reference article is wrong. It uses engines similar to http://www.jetcatusa.com/p160.html

Video Here

[NanoWires]

Video Available here. Nothing too exciting ;-) just a dude hanging in wires with RC model Jet engines strapped to his back. http://www.skywalkerjets.com/

GEORGELUCASWILLSUE

[Anonymous Coward]

... for those who missed it :)

Re:GEORGELUCASWILLSUE

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't get it.. what what does GEORGELUCASWILLSUE have to do with jetpacks?

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Back when I was still flying

[GMontag]

Back when I was still flying (Army National National Guard, rotary wing) the landing checklist no longer included a fuel check (made sense to me).

However, the "old guys" were in the habit of a fuel check before landing.

One flight I finally responded to "fuel check" with "enough to land".

The Pilot-in-Command responded: "How much?"

Me: "Enough to land"

He: "If you did not calculate it how do you know?"

Me: "I don't have to calculate it. With or without fuel we are going to land."

Re:Back when I was still flying

[Tordek]

No wonder you're not flying anymore

Re:Back when I was still flying

[Anonymous Coward]

He: "Who said that? Who the fuck said that? Who's the slimy little communist shit twinkletoed cocksucker down here who just signed his own death warrant?"

Re:Back when I was still flying

[Wormholio]

In a low wing aircraft the fuel check is not just to see how much you have. You turn on the aux fuel pump, just in case the main pump fails during a critical flight period. You also switch to the fullest tank. You may have enough to land, but it does you no good if it's in the tank not selected.

Ideally you perform this check a few minutes out or more, before things get real busy, so that any consequences of the tank change can be dealt with (eg. didn't get the selector in the detent, water in the other tank, etc...)

Re:Back when I was still flying

[elrous0]

Don't most military helicopters have an emergency reserve fuel supply anyway? So, it's not like you're likely to die even if your main tank runs dry (though landing in a field somewhere probably wouldn't look very good, or earn you any commendations from your CO).

Re:Back when I was still flying

[VAXcat]

Hah! That reminds me of the old checklist for engine out emergency landing at night. When you get down to 100 feet above ground, turn on the landing lights. If you don't like what you see...turn them off...

Re:Back when I was still flying

[GMontag]

Not what I was flying, UH-1H. They have multiple fuel cells, all connected together.

Low fuel light comes on with approx. 20 min. of fuel remaining at standard burn rate. If you are burning at a different rate your time aloft will vary.

Re:Back when I was still flying

[elrous0]

Wow, I didn't know the Huey was still in service. I thought the Blackhawk had pretty much retired them. Man, those things used to be workhorses. They had to be one of the most reliable helicopters in military history. You used to see Chinooks being grounded all the time when I was at Fort Campbell (and Kobras, and later Blackhawks and Apaches too, for that matter) but the Hueys never had to be grounded. They were about as battle-tested as you could get.

-Eric

Awesome if...

[gigne]

this were all spring loaded into a backpack, that once activated exploded you into flight.

You would make an awesome supervillain if you had one of the spring loaded versions. You could even disguise it as an evil hump under a cape.

Re:Awesome if...

[Anonymous Coward]

Get the smaller hump, hold a grenade.

For range, stick with blades

[PIPBoy3000]

This personal helicopter can be flow for an hour or so and travels around 55 mph. Not as sexy as a jet pack, but it's far more utilitarian.

Re:For range, stick with blades

[nosredna]

When the personal helicopter is more utilitarian than the product you're marketing, it's probably time to go back to the drawing board.

Re:For range, stick with blades

[Anonymous Coward]

From the specs:

Safety Devices

- Four independent engines for redundancy
- Engine out lights
- Emergency landing under full control is possible on two engines.
- Ballistic parachute provided as an option, mounted above the mast.

That made me laugh hysterically.

Re:For range, stick with blades

[H0p313ss]

I'm using that line at the next marketing meeting.

5 minutes?!

[weasello]

I get upset when my fully loaded Cessna 172 only fits 4 hours of fuel. I can see getting by with two, *maybe* one hour of fuel in a jetpack. But seriously - what can you do in 5 minutes?!?

It's not even enough to consider a form of commuting; you can barely accomplish any task that wouldn't be done easier with a helicopter/climbing ropes/scissor lift, plus the huge pricetag...

For most aircraft, FAA requires your flying vehicle to be able to get you to your destination with 30 minutes of backup fuel for delays, emergencies, or unforseen weather. Having a 5 minute flight time kind of negates all that...

At best, I see this as a backyard novelty at worst and an airshow wonder at best.

Re:5 minutes?!

[Tired and Emotional]

Well, it would allow you to commit suicide by jumping off quite small bridges.

Re:5 minutes?!

[Burning1]

The Bugatti Vayron is the worlds fastest production car. It's top speed is 250MPH. At that speed, the only place it can be used is on a speedway. It's fuel supply will last all of 17 minutes.

It's my dream car.

The wright brothers first flight didn't even last a minute. It was worth it.

Utility isn't the only measure of value.

Re:5 minutes?!

[G-funk]

They Veyron also costs about 3 or 4 times as much to make as it does to buy. Not exactly something one could base a business around.

Re:5 minutes?!

[patrixmyth]

Bit pricey, but it might make an interesting excape device. My first thought was blasting off the roof of a burning skyrise (better than base jumping at least), but then a cooler picture coalesced of the the most interesting 5 minute end to a police pursuit ever.

"Well, Dan, apparently he had a jetpack in the back of the truck and NOW HE'S CHASING THE CHANNEL 9 NEWSCOPTER..."

Re:5 minutes?!

[Jeremi]

They Veyron also costs about 3 or 4 times as much to make as it does to buy. Not exactly something one could base a business around

Pardon my ignorance.... why is Bugatti selling cars at a loss?

Re:5 minutes?!

[Burning1]

Bugatti is owned by VW. It's a namebrand for their "Image" car. Much like the Viper makes Dodge look cooler.

Basically, the Veyron is the world's greatest supercar. It has 16 cylinders, 4 turbos, 11 radiators and can do 0-60 in under 4 seconds. The image of the Veyron makes VW look great by association. It's also a technology accomplishment.

Each Veyron cost 4 million to make. They are sold for 1 million each. I'm not sure if this factors R&D or not. If R&D is included in the 4 mil per car figure, then the actual cost may be lower as the research has value for VW's other cars.

Re:5 minutes?!

[DiscoDave_25]

In actual fact the cost to build the car is significantly less than its price as the oft quoted 4m figure includes the R&D for creating a 250mph car (actually the spec required a 400kph car).

VW, through Bugatti, also have the prestige as mentioned before of the worlds fastest road car. How much is that worth?

Re:5 minutes?!

[Anonymous Coward]

5 minutes is more than enough to hop across that pesky border fence. The added bonus is the rednecks (sorry, patriots!) get to practise their skeet shooting.

Re:5 minutes?!

[Angostura]

It would let me wash that inaccessible window in the attic, and prune the top from the Leylandii next door.

Where do I sign up?

Re:5 minutes?!

[G-funk]

To get the name out there. Now, people associate the name Bugatti with the best sportscar ever built or likely to be built in the next 20-40 years.

checklist

[AlgorithMan]

[X] Jetpack
[X] Nightvision
[X] Steroids
[X] Medikit
[X] Armor
[ ] holoduke
[ ] atomic health

Re:checklist

[misleb]

Don't forget the remote detonated pipe bombs. A jetpack isn't much fun without them, especially when you figure out that you can drop a dozen of them and set them off all at once...

Re:checklist

[pembo13]

Sounds like a James Bond game.

Re:checklist

[Anonymous Coward]

lol noob

Re:checklist

[Burning1]

So...

You're saying that DNF is almost ready?

Re:checklist

[AlgorithMan]

that depends on your definition of "almost" ;)

Re:checklist

[Moofie]

That whooshing sound was the joke going over your head. Wearing a jetpack.

Re:checklist

[Moofie]

For very large values of "almost"...

$100,000 Preorder... checks in the mail!

[jhfry]

Sure, I'll write the check now... considering you've proven that the jetpack managed to lift you a couple of inches on a teather. Of course I'm confident that you will be able to resolve all the issues of flight stability and emergency parachutes etc.

Is anyone else a little skeptical. Who in thier right mind would preorder something that hasn't even been properly demonstrated. Now if this guy managed to take off to about 30ft, hover a bit, then travel for a minute or two while performing some impressive demonstration of the manuverability I might consider this a worthwhile project. Otherwise it is nothing but a pipe dream... anyone can locate a motor of reasonable size and weight then mount it to a backpack... making it fly is the hard part!

Re:$100,000 Preorder... checks in the mail!

[Krokus]

"Who in thier right mind would preorder something that hasn't even been properly demonstrated."

Nobody in their right mind would order one, at least to actually use the thing. Like Jamie said on Mythbusters when they tried to build one (ok, their device used props, but still), there's no failsafe on them; if they fail whilst in flight, you die. This is probably why we're not all flying around in helicopters.

Now, the reason he's taking preorders makes more sense:

1. Take preorders

2. Use preorder money to manufacture orders. More preorders means parts orders in bulk quantities, which means less cost to manufacture.

3. There is no step 3.

4. Profit!

Re:$100,000 Preorder... checks in the mail!

[damiam]

Like Jamie said on Mythbusters when they tried to build one (ok, their device used props, but still), there's no failsafe on them; if they fail whilst in flight, you die.

So you carry a parachute. Just make sure you're flying high enough for it to take effect.

Re:$100,000 Preorder... checks in the mail!

[Jeremi]

there's no failsafe on them; if they fail whilst in flight, you die

That's why every jet pack flightsuit should come with emergency air bags. If they can use them to land Mars rovers, I don't see why they couldn't use them to land humans... :^)

Re:$100,000 Preorder... checks in the mail!

[Grench]

if they fail whilst in flight, you die. This is probably why we're not all flying around in helicopters.

Are you implying that helicopters are unsafe? Or that the general public should not be allowed to have helicopters without proper flight tuition?

Helicopters, whilst being incredibly complex machines, are built with safety in mind. This jetpack idea is just unworkable without some way of carrying more fuel, and without having some form of safety device (such as a parachute) built in.

Single-engined aircraft can glide to the ground because the airframe is designed to aerodynamic. Helicopters have autorotate, which slows descent to a more survivable rate, and works by using the helicopters own rotors (which are aerodynamic shapes).

Humans are not aerodynamic, and don't generally take too kindly to free-falling a hundred (or more) feet to the ground. The FAA are unlikely to approve this as a commercial venture.

Error

[linvir]

Sorry, did I say "bystanders"? I meant to say "lost customers".

Someone already has one

[787style]

We had this guy fly at one of our parties. The fuel it used was 96% pure hydrogene peroxide, which was some scary stuff to say the least. It was incredibly loud, and woe unto anyone walking underneath with the large amounts of heat this thing generated.

Re:Someone already has one

[texas_mustang]

I'd like to see someone pilot one of these. http://gprime.net/video.php/flyinglawnmower

Re:Someone already has one

[AMSRay]

The Bell Rocketbelt used by The Rocketman was first flown in the early 1960's, and seems to be much more stable and with longer flying time than the Skywalker backpack. I don't know how the cost would compare, but 40 years of flying is a pretty good record for such an experimental device.

Re:Someone already has one

[blincoln]

and with longer flying time than the Skywalker backpack.

Actually, that one has a flight time of twenty to thirty seconds, which is why it's only used as a gimmick at e.g. sports arenas.

Re:Someone already has one

[AMSRay]

You're right Blincoln, I thought it was longer because the video clips were edited to make it look that way. There's also a hobbyist Juan Lozano in Mexico City who has built his own jetpack using hydrogen peroxide, and his only flies for the same twenty to thirty seconds. But he says the parts cost is "only" about $10,000. Of course he has spent 8 years and around a half-million to get there.

For $200k, I'll stick with airplanes...

[kcbrown]

Lessee...the plane:

• costs about the same
• is much faster
• flies much further
• has an enclosed, heated cabin for comfort
• and last but not least, glides in the event of an engine failure

So why, exactly, would I spend money on this? It might have a larger coolness factor, but that'll wear off fast.

Re:For $200k, I'll stick with airplanes...

[Anonymous Coward]

VTOL

Re:For $200k, I'll stick with airplanes...

[gardyloo]

VTOL stand for Very Tragic Ordeal with Lacerations, right?

Re:For $200k, I'll stick with airplanes...

[TheVelvetFlamebait]

I'm assuming you also have the money to keep it refuelled, plus the space and money to build a runway (that needs to be perfectly flat), as well as money for maintenance, right?

Oh, and I'd also guess that you'd be content flying only where there's a runway that you can use?

And you don't mind that other people would rather be hit, or have their property hit, by a runaway jetpack than a runaway plane?

Sure, then. Planes are much better.

Re:For $200k, I'll stick with airplanes...

[Arimus]

Ah, but remember any landing you can walk away from is a good one - when you boil it down to the basics a landing is just a controled crash ;)

looking for capital investment

[fermion]

From the web site, it looks like all this guy has in an engine attached to a backpack. This is no simple design feat, and kudos goes out to him for getting this far.

But it look like the publicity is not so much to sell units, which don't exist and may not ever exist, but to search for a partner, probably to help work though the regulatory process.

The technical detail that fails me is how controlled flight is possible when all you have is a rocket pack. I mean you go up when there is thrust, and then come back down when there is no thrust. How do you orient to go forwards. How do you turn?Is simply bending sufficient? I know this has been done before, but only with highly trained persons. Would a small aircraft not be a better value at 200K.

Skywalker?

[dfn5]

I think a more apt name would've been The Fett Jett.

The video is hilarious

[cryptomancer]

"Cables holding me down.." No, I can just barely see the wires the's suspended by, in his backyard, with his mom watching as he lifts his feet off the ground to pretend that he's flying. ...I'm sorry, even if it's legit and that's not his mom, the video is kinda funny.

Re:The video is hilarious

[Anonymous Coward]

curious though that there seems to be an R2 unit in the background of the video... seems Skywalker is not that far off of a name for this guy....

Overpriced!

[pilot-programmer]

For $200,000 you can get a nice used Cirrus SR-22 or a nice Piper Seneca. Either would have much more utility for me than a personal jet pack, and will probably be much cheaper to insure.

Re:Overpriced!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, this stuff is way overpriced.

$50 worth of pot will make me fly for much longer than 5 minutes, and higher too! :)

Human Molotov Cocktail

[raftpeople]

Should sell pretty well in the ME.

To put this in context

[jd]

You can buy a single prop aircraft for almost a third of the price, a Tiger Moth for under half, or even a YAK

Re:To put this in context

[MadEE]

1. You cannot compare something that is new to something that is used. There is a large drop in value upon delivery alone; this is true for pretty much anything mass produced. 2. One of the largest factors in value for the plane is the avionics, something those planes are lacking in. Granted I don't see much value in this other then as a novelty but to be honest most of these classes of planes (lacking large fuel tanks and cabin space) are that too.

Re:The video is hilarious (and a scam)

[airuck]

The video suddenly pixelates when he lifts his feet. It is a scam.

have you seen the jeep commercial?

[way2trivial]

(is it jeep?) where the guy kisses his wife, and parachutes into the canyon to his car?/ how do you think exactly, he goes from the driveway back to his house...

Re:have you seen the jeep commercial?

[brian0918]

Yeah, but then how does he get the jet pack back down on the ground for the next trip to the top? He couldn't bring it down with his parachute, too heavy.

Re:have you seen the jeep commercial?

[Anonymous Coward]

He has a mexican carry it down each day after he cleans the pool.

Re:have you seen the jeep commercial?

[Lord Ender]

It's for a Kia or Suzuki SUV, actually. And thank you for pointing that out. The commercial makes so much more sense now! He works at a jetpack factory and refuels every day while at work! I can now sleep at night without worrying about that commercial.

Copyright infringement...

[Anonymous Coward]

So what happens after they get sued for every last cent they have by George "Mr. Skywalker" Lucas?

Yeah, naming it "Skywalker" was entirely coincidental, yep. Try telling that to the judge.

This is cool...

[chord.wav]

...that deserves its own category in the Darwing Awards!

Emergency Rescue

[LordLucless]

With that sort of price tag and flight-time, I'm not sure of it's uses as a personal toy, but it might very well be useful for rescue efforts. On his site, the guy says there will be two production models, one with the capacity to lift one person, and another with the capacity to lift two. That might be quite useful for rescuing people in situations where an air-lift from a helicopter is just too difficult or dangerous.

Re:Emergency Rescue

[Anonymous Coward]

Jetpack Rescue attempt.

Pararescuer jumps out of helicopter flying above mountain turbulence to the injured climbers below. He of course bring the jetpack along.

Pararescuer secures injured climber to pack and himself.

Pararescuer ignites jet pack and flies towards helicoptor.

Pararescuer overshoots helicopter bay doors and rockets into spinning rotors killing himself and climber.

I can see this being useful for feeding mountain critters minced human flesh. A worthy application.

Re:Emergency Rescue

[LordLucless]

There's no reason the helicopter has to pick them up mid-air. If the climber was in a gorge or similarly inaccessible place, they could be jumped up to a place that's easier to pick them up from; maybe somewhere that has road access even.

one other little thing

[hurfy]

"A prototype build solicited a bid over 10 grand from a hopeful buyer (or helpless Star Wars fan)"

SO someone was willing to pay 10k for one.
Sales price will be 200k.

hmmmmmmmmm

Re:one other little thing

[UncleJam]

The prototype can hardly leave the ground.

Rocketman

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.rocketman.org/index.html

Re:Rocketman

[Anonymous Coward]

Or, perhaps, this Rocketman. http://www.the-rocketman.com/rocketbelt.html

If you read up on the history of jet/rocket packs

[merreborn]

... You'll find that one of the main reasons they've never taken off, aside from the extreme risk and cost, is they're *incredibly* hard to control! The throttle's extremely sensitive, the power is immense, and if point it the wrong way, you'll either spin out of control, or plummet.

Cue up Chris Rock voice

[loki_ninboy]

"George Lucas gonna sue somebody!"

Come on people....

[Cherita Chen]

What is with all the hubbub regarding the name? His company is called "Skywalker Jets", not "Luke Skywalker Jets", not"Anakin Skywalker Jets", and not "Skywalker Studios Jets". Think about it... The folks at "Thompson Food Group" aren't suing the folks at "Thompson Building Materials", are they? Even if Lucas is peeved about the name, just give the guy a Jetpack, that ought to pacify him as well as be a great PR stunt.

P.S. It is important to note that Mr. Herron holds the trademark for "Skywalker Jets". If you're interested in finding out more about trademarks, or searching the database, go here

Re:Come on people....

[Anonymous Coward]

Because the guy is a fucking dork and VERY full of himself... just look at his site. Bet he gets a boner when he looks in the mirror.

Re:Come on people....

[Anonymous Coward]

The folks at "Thompson Food Group" aren't suing the folks at "Thompson Building Materials", are they?

Perhaps they're both worried about the inventor of this(you may want to turn your volume down...).

MOD PARENT UP!

[hcsteve]

Where's the dang mod points when you need em? This is exactly the difference.

For those that can't wait . . .

[ManoSinistra]

You can try what this guy did.

Re:For those that can't wait . . .

[zephc]

yeah! http://www.bird-man.com/ has lots of other videos of the bird-man suit

Discussed on rcuniverse

[starbird]

There is a large thread with much laughter and skepticism over at rcuniverse.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3729699/mpage_1/ key_/tm.htm

Buddy breathing

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Buddy breathing is an option if you're underwater. I think you'll run out of lift pretty quick if your buddy grabs your legs as he falls...

Most divers don't go deeper than about 80ft without doing extensive checks, and doing an emergency ascent from those depths is possible (I've done an emergency ascent from 100ft). I guess parachutes are an option, if you're high enough.

I can see it now

[Anonymous Coward]

The new chicken... who can get the highest and still get down. sweeeeet!

ok...

[Connie_Lingus]

"price of jet fuel for 4 minute flight: $62.34"

"price of jetson-era backpack: $200,000"

"look on girlfriend face when you crash through her bedroom window, cutting yourself to shreds on the broken glass: priceless"

saving pennies!!!

[Doppler00]

At the current price of copper at $0.023/penny, you only need to save 8,820,798 pennies (before 1982)! Just need to find a way to sell the copper....

Even if...

[Anonymous Coward]

the thing never flies, it's an interesting application of micro gas turbine engines and a testament to amazing advances in engineering and materials they represent. In less than 100 years since Sir Frank Whittle ran the first turbojet, it has been scaled all the way to backpack size - no small feat! I hope this leads to more applications for small gas turbines outside the model airplane community. Though they may not be the most fuel efficient, they have a tremendous advantage when it comes to thrust/weight.

Fuel Tank?

[TheToasterBoy]

FTA, "The final jet pack model will also have integrated frame and fuel tank"

Wait a sec... The thing weighs 90 Lbs., and the fuel tank isn't even onboard yet?

This guy doesn't need an aeronautics engineer, he needs a reality check...

Tb.

Photo in TFA

[Riktov]

Is that his R&D lab in the background? If so, I'd be REALLY skeptical...

Re:Photo in TFA

[geekoid]

Yeah, I mean what next, some people who start an industry working out of there garages? Preposterous.

www dot wtf?

[Anonymous Coward]

Has anyone checked out his website? He thinks he is Jesus Christ! Click on the about tab, holy douche bags batman...

Slow?

[Anonymous Coward]

From the http://www.skywalkerjets.com/creators's homepage

The production model jet pack will be capable of flying for up to ten minutes. With a range of 4 miles (6.436 kilometers)

That's about 38 kph (24 mph). I can reach about the same speed on my 21 speed mountain bike without the risk of plummeting to my death in a ball of fire. Oh, and it's much cheaper and environmentally friendly.

Cease and Desist

[ukemike]

How long before he gets a cease and desist order from Lucas?

Re:If you read up on the history of jet/rocket pac

[aXis100]

Just like a jet fighter.

That's why you build the control algorithm into a $10 10MHz microcontroller - it can compensate faster than humans.

Jet Pack Man

[RenoRelife]

Funny time for this article, as here in Colorado someone flew a jet pack on a local radio station. The website of the station has a link to the video: http://www.startcolorado.com/iac/KBPI-FM/v/Jetpack man.wmv/ I haven't seen it yet, but what I heard on the radio was hilarious.

The cost

[Anonymous Coward]

FTFA:
A prototype build solicited a bid over 10 grand from a hopeful buyer ... will only cost you a cool $200,000 if it goes into production.

I thought initial costs are higher than mass production costs. what am I missing?

GPM?

[Doc Ruby]

The gas mileage on these things is going to suck, right when gas hits $10-20:gal when they finally arrive. Maybe jetpacks and flying cars will inspire inventors to produce alternate energy sources for them, just like Rudolf Diesel originally planned for the engine he invented.

This is about perfect for my aircar...

[Kuroji]

I'll just throw one of these in the trunk of my flying car in case it runs out of gas!...

Re:This is about perfect for my aircar...

[SnarfQuest]

I'll just throw one of these in the trunk of my flying car in case it runs out of gas!...

That might work ... if you only run out of gas less than 2 miles from a gas station (you need to get back too) ... Or, you could put a 90lb can of gas in your trunk instead.

Re:This is about perfect for my aircar...

[damiam]

Presumably you cen refill your jetpack at the gas station too, so 4 miles would be adequate.

Re:This is about perfect for my aircar...

[bytesex]

What about having to shut your engine down at the gas station ? Oh, it's not a FLYING gas-station ? My bad.

Folding wings

[aersixb9]

Does the jetpack have folding wings with it?

Bring a parachute.

[aersixb9]

Whenever flying, don't forget to bring a parachute for safety.

Re:Bring a parachute.

[Calinous]

A parachute won't help you when you are flying at less than 200 meters high (maybe a bit less). If you fly at 30m (10-stories high), no parachute will deploy fast enough - especially if you are flying slow.

Re:Bring a parachute.

[Bromskloss]

A low pull. But it's not at low speed, so it doesn't invalidate your point. Just interesting to watch.

Re:Bring a parachute.

[Calinous]

I stand corrected. Anyway, I think that was at over 100m - probably over 200. Maybe some kind of "explosive" parachute, or maybe some airbags like the ones used by the Mars landers would help some.

It's god's will ...

[Anonymous Coward]

... for American's to burn as much oil as is possible.

PS the ultimate irony - I have to enter "liberty" to post this as AC!!

Nice

[AC-x]

Step 1. Attach 8 model aircraft jet engines to a harness
Step 2. Don't die (this is the important one)
Step 3. Profit

the server his website is on

[bobamu]

seems to be called impactengine.com

don't really need to add anything else to this comment, do I?

5 minutes?

[Timberwolf0122]

Well it's enough to jump large buildings with a single boun d but not really that good for commuting (unless you live and work on opersite sides of a large building).

Also that thing must be defeningly loud..

Money is better spent on a prancing horse!

[Anonymous Coward]

For 200k USD you can buy a new Ferrari, whose sound and speed will make girls wet in the pants, so you easily bang them on the bonnet (hood for americans). Much better value for money than a jetpack. If you have a Ferrari, you are no longer afraid of looking in females' eyes.

I have more common sense than money...

[Anonymous Coward]

But only because I'm poor. =D

Selling at a loss...

[Joce640k]

why is Bugatti selling cars at a loss?

It's what the rest of the world calls a "loss leader". Try looking it up in a dictionary.

Re:Selling at a loss...

[Anonymous Coward]

Retail merchandise that is advertised and sold at a price representing a loss of profit for the retailer, but is used to draw (lead) customers into the store in the hope that they will make additional purchases.

So, they lose 3 million, then hope to sell me floor mats?

17 minutes *at full speed*....

[Joce640k]

At normal speeds the fuel lasts a bit longer than that.

PS: Jeremey Clarkson said the fuel only lasts 11 minutes at full speed, I don't know who's right, but at least he's driven one.

PPS: In Germany/France there's no speed limit on many roads. You could drive it faster in Europe than on a "speedway" (whatever that is) and the police will most likely just wave you on.

In Italy there's limits but if you're in a Bugatti they'll probably let it pass.... save the tickets for the people who drive Mercedes/BMWs.

Re:17 minutes *at full speed*....

[hcdejong]

Germany is the only country that still has highways without a speed limit. A few years ago I read an interview with Thomas Bscher (now CEO of Bugatti?). Back then, he used a McLaren F1 for his 400km commute, which he'd routinely do in 2 hours. When the time came to service the car, the car got hooked up to a telephone line so McLaren could read the engine management system remotely. The logs showed speeds of up to 300 km/h on a regular basis, so the company called Bscher, to verify he'd really done those speeds. Most customers never got their cars up to 300 km/h, so McLaren assumed something had to be wrong with the ECU...

France has a 130 km/h limit and is getting increasingly anal about enforcing it.

Re:17 minutes *at full speed*....

[Politburo]

A speedway is a dedicated facility for auto racing and time trials. The european term is usually "circuit". It's much better than a road for this purpose. No traffic and the safety barriers are designed for high-speed impacts (including gravel traps at many facilities).

Re:17 minutes *at full speed*....

[Anonymous Coward]

France has a highway limit of 130 km/h. And even in Germany the law has a provision for safe driving. I highly doubt driving that fast will pass.

Re:17 minutes *at full speed*....

[Anonymous Coward]

Germany is the only country that still has highways without a speed limit.

It's also the only place I've ever seen a fatal auto accident, in spite of the fact I've only been to Germany once and spend a lot on the interstate in the U.S. Antidotal, I know, but you don't forget seeing these things.

Re:17 minutes *at full speed*....

[hcdejong]

Your anECdotal evidence notwithstanding, German highways have an excellent safety record, with fewer deaths per passenger*km than highways in most countries, iirc including the US.

Re:17 minutes *at full speed*....

[Burning1]

Relax buddy. Contrary to what you seem to be implying with all that nitpicking, I'm not a master of car trivia and I'm not trying to insult your intelligence.

A speedway is a race track specifically designed to allow maximum speeds in a car. It has perfectly banked corners and huge straights. The pavement is perfectly flat, and there is no traffic.

In order to reach maximum speeds in a Bugatti, you've got to retract the rear wing. No rear wing means better arodynamics, but a lot less rear end grip. Without the wing, at 250 even the smallest bump could send the Bugatti spinning to it's death.

It's not really about the police, it's about living to gloat about taking a Bugatti to 250.

Another difference

[Anonymous Coward]

Another difference between the British and American dialects of the language.

Fwffph!

[gijoel]

This guy strapped jet engines to his feet.

waste of attention potential

[uioreanu]

I don't know what's worse: the naive ./ population or this whole website that smells miles away of amateurship and "not yet, bu I will/am going to" ?rap. I could bet that after the media wave goes away, there will be no pre-orders to fuel further development. This is actually sad news, since the idea of Jetpacks is in itself a very exciting one. If only inventors would learn how to present themselves..

Flying Cars

[jaweekes]

"It is the year 2000, but where are the flying cars? I was promised flying cars. I don't see any flying cars. Why? Why? Why?"

--Avery Brooks

Autorotation

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't know about reserve tanks, but helos have another option to get down in a somewhat controlled fashion if the engine goes out. It's called autorotation.

Re:Autorotation

[FragHARD]

yeh, but that other option of landing isn't much good if you hovering in the SPLAT range of altitude! you need forward airspeed to autorotate successfully ;0) otherwise the landing/crash will be a little hard....

I just hope...

[loic_2003]

I hope the US government doesn't see them as potentially usable by 'terrorists' and ban these things in case some clown decides to make himself into a human V2 flying bomb...

I hate this world of paranoia in the US, especially when being fat is killing waaay more people in the US than any terrorist attack has or could.

Fett-Pack?

[GreenSwirl]

Jango Fett got beheaded by Mace Windu when his jetpack failed to ignite after he got run over by a Reek. Boba Fett got digested by a Sarlacc after Han Solo blindly whacked his jetpack, sending him ricocheting off Jabba's barge.

Jetpacks in the Star Wars Universe are about as advisable as superhero capes in The Incredibles' world.

Not good enough!

[beaverfever]

Jetpacks are sooo old. Where are the rocket boots?

hmm

[PeelBoy]

5 mins? Perfect! That's just enough time to fly to the store. Now if only it could fly for 10 mins.

The Rocketeer!

[slyborg]

Loved that movie....

Great

[daybot]

...but does it run Linux?

Moller

[argent]

You think this guy or Moller will get a production model into a dealership first?

Yeah,

[bplipschitz]

but does it come complete with Jennifer Connelly?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102803/

Cheaper alternative- 25K Gets you your own chopper

[Anonymous Coward]

... And NO pilot's license required! Kudos to Canadian technology!

http://www.innovator.mosquito.net.nz/mbbs2/index.a sp

~m