It's been a long time coming. While Arthur C. Clarke's satellites have taken to space, and James Bond's futuristic mobile technology has become common place, still the dream of sustained personal flight has eluded us. But the future is here! Finally we can all take flight as Martin Aircraft in New Zealand releases the first commercially-available jet pack!
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Finally, your jet pack is ready.
Posted on: March 11, 2010 6:56 PM, by Greg Laden
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Comments
Only $86,000 and a 10% down 12 month lead time.
I bet shipping from NZ is not cheap.
Posted by: NewEnglandBob | March 11, 2010 7:20 PM
Other than Jet Pack being a misnomer (it uses a 4 cyl infernal combustion engine), it's pretty darn cool.
Very similar to the Solotrek of a decade or so ago. It had a few successful tethered flights before the funding ran out.
http://www.google.com/search?q=solotrek+xfv
Posted by: LightningRose | March 12, 2010 12:27 PM
Trek Aero had something similar years ago. It's incredibly expensive, but similar. I think the Dragonfly concept is really fucking awesome, though.
[pedant]
As for the "jet" idea, it is, indeed, a jet in many senses of the word; it is just not a high temperature turbine. Jet skis operate under similar mechanisms (internal combustion engine turning an impeller pump which directs a high speed discharge of water-the "jet") as this "jet pack." Strictly speaking, a "jet" is not a type of engine, but the mode of propulsion. A helicopter may be, for example, powered by a turbine engine (turboshaft), but it is not a "jet powered" helicopter. Most modern aircraft are turbofan powered. A "jet," in your sense, includes anything which is turbine powered, rather than "jet propelled." A modern high performance hydroplane is "turbine powered" and not "jet powered," similarly, many older aircraft had turboprop engines which did little (usually, nothing) in the way of providing a "jet" of air for propulsion. A non-afterburning high-bypass turbofan has more in common with a ducted fan lift system than it has in common with a turboshaft engine. (it produces highly directional thrust as exhaust rather than developing torque to power a separate drive system)
[/pedant]
Posted by: Jared | March 12, 2010 12:59 PM
Fair enough, Jared.
Posted by: LightningRose | March 12, 2010 1:11 PM
I dig ducted fans.
Posted by: doug l | March 12, 2010 10:56 PM