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The First 'Practical' Jetpack May Be On Sale In Two Years
Daniel_Stuckey writes "This week, New Zealand-based company Martin Aircraft became certified to take what it calls 'the world's first practical jetpack' out for a series of manned test flights. If all goes well, the company plans to start selling a consumer version of the jetpack in 2015, starting at $150,000 to $200,000 and eventually dropping to $100,000. 'For us it's a very important step because it moves it out of what I call a dream into something which I believe we're now in a position to commercialize and take forward very quickly,' CEO Peter Coker told the AFP."
30 minutes max... 400 pounds.... starting at $150,000
I think this guy has a skewed idea of practical.
This thing is heavier than some ultralight helicopters.
If you want an ultralight helicopter, they're available for as little as $6,000.
Only it's not practical, a jet, or a pack.
You'd better "earmark" a portion of that $150K for some serious hearing protection...
Watched the video and *phew* is that thing ever noisy, and in a range which is bothersome - like an overlarge mosquito.
"...there are some things that can beat smartness and foresight. Awkwardness and stupidity can." ~ Mark Twain
A portable, one man blimp with pedal power.
just try to keep me out of your cactus farm now!
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
It's a ducted fanpack not a jetpack.
Not to be mistaken for a ducted fannypack.
Sure! Please forward your name, social security number, and bank information and I'll have the funds transferred to, er, from Nigeria immediately.
Can't wait to take my jetpack to the Hyperloop station so I can commute to my job in Atlantis.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
99% is all but one in a hundred, or 1e2.. add a power of ten for each 9, and you get.. 1e17, or all but 1 in 100 million billion. People? That's more people than ever existed. I think this thing is at least practical for the promoters, or at least whomever has been recieving the money they spend on devlopment and promotion. You'd still be off if you counted each person's individual cells.
No, you've added quite enough already.
Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. (Isaac Asimov)
Look at the Mosquito aviation stuff: http://www.innovator.mosquito.net.nz/mbbs2/mosqspec.asp
1 hour endurance at 70mph at 5 gph. 1/3 the horsepower and higher cruise speed.
The mosquito costs $30K. for a kit, 200 hours build time.
People build helicopters rather than lift-jets because moving a large volume of air slowly is more efficient than moving a small volume of air quickly. (force is goes as (M/s)*V, power as (M/s)*V^2).
A compact jet pack you could wear would be great, the this isn't it.
Just sayin'
Yep, noticed that 33 seconds into the video when it didn't run out of fuel.
To be a jet pack, I need to be able to carry it on my back. Walk around with it, and then take to the sky at will.
That was the dream of the jet pack. That it would give a person the ability to walk around and then leap into the sky at will.
This thing does fly... but you can't really walk with it.
Its sort of like calling something a sea plane when it can't float. Yeah... it might fly... but... if it sinks when it hits the water its not a sea plane.
This isn't a jet pack. Try again.
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