A Working, Winged Jetpack from Switzerland

serutan writes "A Swiss airline pilot and self-described adrenaline junkie named Yves Rossy has developed a working jet-pack and flown it more than 30 times. Actually, it's a pair of rigid carbon fiber wings strapped to his back, with two small kerosene-powered jet engines on each wing — essentially a small jet airplane using the pilot's body as the fuselage. His flights have lasted up to 6-1/2 minutes at speeds over 100mph. Rossy's website and YouTube have some pretty cool videos of him flying around over the mountains like Buzz Lightyear. He is working toward ground takeoffs and landings, but currently he jumps out of an airplane, unfolds the wings and flies until he runs out of fuel, then parachutes to the ground."

Comments

He could have built the engines himself

[mangu]

Something that amazes me is that there are hobbyists building those model jet engines from scratch, using detailed plans that this guy published in this book.

After him, several other people published books on building small jet engines, like this one, for instance.

Re:Nausicaa

[constantnormal]

I'm impressed by the fact that he was his own test pilot ... ... learning the flight characteristics on the way to the ground ...

Obviously, a quick learner.

I'd be interested in knowing what his "Plan B" was in the event the wings folded up in flight, or one engine exploded.