Earlier this week we discussed the built-up expectation of hoverboards in 2015, and the more realistic possibility of hoverbikes. Now comes news that next year, if you have a pile of extra cash sitting around, you could be blasting through the sky just like Billy Campbell in The Rocketeer.
Ok, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch. However, for only $150,000 you could be the proud owner of the only jetpack on your block. Peter Coker, the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Martin Jetpack, a New Zealand based company, says:
We have safety built into the actual structure itself. Very similar to a Formula One racing car, and finally what we actually have is a new ballistic parachute that is the basis of recognising the way that we can be as safe as we possibly can. It opens at very low altitude and actually saves both the aircraft and the pilot in an emergency.
Following three decades of research, the Martin Jetpack flew more than 3,200 feet (1,000 meters) above the ground, at speeds up to 74 miles an hour in tests. The newest version, the P12, runs on a gasoline engine which drives two ducted fans and can carry around 260 pounds.
Chinese aerospace group Kuang-Chi Science has committed 40 million dollars of funding. Their Chairman, Dr. Ruopeng Liu, has said,
For sure, I would fly it by myself and I will even buy one for myself. It’s one of the finest machines I’ve ever seen in the world and people will love it.
Although it will interest rich thrill-seekers, it’s aimed primarily at emergency responders in hard to reach areas, and search and rescue. It’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing means it can land in tight spaces and on rooftops. It can stay in the air for 30 minutes and the firm calls it a practical alternative to helicopters. The first deliveries of the jetpack are expected in late 2016.
Any of our readers have a spare $150,000 sitting around to purchase one? We’d love to give it a review here at Techaeris! Let us know your thoughts on this bad boy in the comments section.
[button link=”http://www.martinjetpack.com/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Martin Jetpack[/button][button link=”http://www.reuters.com/video/2015/06/25/worlds-first-commercial-jetpack-set-for?videoId=364721701&videoChannel=6″ icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Via: Reuters[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
