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Science & Technology

Consumer jetpack to go on sale next year

By T.K. Randall
September 19, 2013 · Comment icon 26 comments

A test flight of the Martin Jetpack. Image Credit: Martin Jetpack / YouTube
The world's first consumer jetpack will soon be available to purchase from a company in New Zealand.
The Martin Aircraft Co. Ltd. has spent over 30 years researching and developing a working jetpack, a device that enables the wearer to cruise through the air strapped to a piece of technology that chief executive Peter Cooker has described as a "motorcycle in the sky."

With a $150,000 price tag the Martin Jetpack won't come cheap, but with the ability to fly at a height of 7,000ft at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour it is likely that there will be a great many people willing to shell out for the chance to own one.
New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority however is unimpressed, not least because current legislation does not cater for this type of device but also because technically the jetpack isn't actually a jetpack. "It's a misnomer to call it a jetpack because it is a ducted fan," said special flight operations manager Rex Kenny. "It's a lift device really. When we looked at our rules, microlight was the closest."

Unlike the traditional idea of a jetpack which uses actual jets, the Martin Jetpack uses a gasoline engine to power two ducted fans which help propel it in to the air. Nonetheless its capabilities cannot be denied and with a public release looming it is likely to be hitting the headlines in New Zealand when it is finally made available to the public within the next few months.



Source: Wall Street Journal | Comments (26)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #17 Posted by seeder 11 years ago
Like Segways, just a few insurance forms to fill in before you fly. Interesting to see how this pans out, the first thing my son asked is how much it will be and would I buy one. all new stuff costs big money, and why not, that guy did 30 years of his life to develop that!! So yeh, give it time and it'll be cheaper...or for hire at clubs etc
Comment icon #18 Posted by QuiteContrary 11 years ago
It seems to me parking options would be quite limited. Maybe land on your office roof? I don't see any wheels. So I guess you're stuck where you land, so get it right the first time? Looks like a blast though! 7000 feet up, perfect
Comment icon #19 Posted by AlienDan 11 years ago
Was expecting something much cooler like the size of a backpack. This doesnt look fun at all.
Comment icon #20 Posted by pallidin 11 years ago
Well, if it ever gets to a price-point that is affordable to the masses, I hope there will be some type of regulation: I once saw a Nature video of birds flying after consuming intoxicating berries. It was not a pretty site. They were flying into each other, also falling to the ground, and also crashing into trees.
Comment icon #21 Posted by Likely Guy 11 years ago
...I once saw a Nature video of birds flying after consuming intoxicating berries. It was not a pretty site. They were flying into each other, also falling to the ground, and also crashing into trees. Sold! They've promised us these things since the Seattle World's Fair ('62?). I'm in. Next up, Flying Cars! Hey, you can't live forever.
Comment icon #22 Posted by Hatake Kakashi 11 years ago
Don't mind me if I go ahead and become a bounty hunter and change my name to Boba Fett.
Comment icon #23 Posted by Shayde 11 years ago
Don't mind me if I go ahead and become a bounty hunter and change my name to Boba Fett. That might be a bad idea. Giving what happened to him... Now, changing your name to Rocketeer though....
Comment icon #24 Posted by nothinglizx2 11 years ago
waste of money for a noisy experience that will only get you so far and so high till you have to parachute back to land. The Rocketeers jetpack is the ideal jet pack for the aerospace fanatic.
Comment icon #25 Posted by puckmomma 11 years ago
Too Scared of heights. Count me out, not me.
Comment icon #26 Posted by seeder 11 years ago
waste of money for a noisy experience that will only get you so far and so high till you have to parachute back to land. The Rocketeers jetpack is the ideal jet pack for the aerospace fanatic. You dont have to parachute back to land, you just hover down, the same way you went up. The parachute is only there for emergencies


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