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Tethered, Water-Powered Jetpack Provides Two Hours of Flight Time

Posted by Soulskill on from the fun-on-the-lake dept.

arshadk writes "Unlike 'ordinary' jetpacks, the JetLev is actually two vehicles, tethered by a hose the thickness of your thigh. On the water is a small speedboat-like unit which contains a 250 horsepower motor and a pump. This is connected to the pack — into which you strap your frail body — by a 10-meter hose. The water is pumped from the sea or lake below up to the nozzles on the jetpack, providing a 1,900-Newton thrust, enough to lift a human weighing up to 150 kilos."

1 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. 2 hours? by binarstu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is 2 hours of flight time an apparent selling point for this thing? Why would anyone need or want to hover a few feet above the surface of a lake for 2 hours nonstop? Granted, you can "fly" much longer than in more traditional jetpacks, but it seems a bit like bragging about a car that can go 600 miles on a single tank but is permanently tethered to the gas station.

    That said, it sure looks fun to try.