Commercial jetpack looks to take flight
The Martin jetpack, a commercially developed jetpack, may soon be heading to a sky near you.
It is about time man flew among the birds — alone. We may not have the homes on the moon, or the flying cars that our totally reasonable childhood imaginations ensured us would be waiting for us when we grew up, but with a little luck and a lot of money, we might soon be able to use “jetpack.”
Imagine one day soon, you prepare for the commute to work. But rather than sitting in traffic and squeezing your steering wheel in frustration as the cars in front of you are moving at 15 MPH, you simply throw on your jetpack, terrify a few birds, and make it to work in record time.
Although it may sound more sci-fi than sci-fact, a commercially developed jetpack is actually being eyed for mass production, with plans to eventually release it to the public. Jetpacks are real, and you might be able to buy one someday soon. Or at least see them among the skies.
First, it is important to note that these are reusable and maintainable jetpacks, and that while pricey, they could be landing in garages someday soon.
The jetpack is being developed by the Martin Aircraft Company which was founded in 1998 and operates out of New Zealand.
Currently Martin Aircraft Company is fulfilling an order for 500 jetpacks to be used by emergency services, as well as four unnamed defense companies. As of right now, the company’s focus is to produce jetpacks specifically for governmental purchase, but they are seeking funding to build at least one new factory with the purpose of producing jetpacks for the average (extremely rich) customer.
The Martin jetpack comes in two models. One is pretty much what you would expect a jetpack to be – it is a device that can carry a person to infinity and beyond, assuming that infinity is less than the 8000 feet ceiling or the 31.5 miles distance that travelling at the maximum regulated speed of 63mph will take you. With a full tank of gas, it would last roughly 30 minutes, although Martin Aircraft expects that to improve as the manufacturing process becomes more efficient. The other model, which will be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), will be released before its much sexier human-friendly counterpart. Field trials for the UAV will begin in 2011. Depending on the results, the manned flight field trials will begin in 2012.
The jetpack operates the way you would imagine it. You strap it on, you fly.
The Martin jetpack uses a gasoline powered V4, 2.0 liter engine capable of producing 200 hp. In fact, the name “jetpack” is actually a bit of a misnomer, as there is not jet involved. But “Enginepack” just isn’t as sexy. It is a carbon fiber design that weighs around 250lbs before adding safety equipment, and at maximum thrust it can carry more than 600 lbs.
The jetpack is also remarkably convenient for locations where parking might be an issue. Standing 5 feet tall by 5.5 feet wide, with a length of 5ft, most locations the device is definitely capable of justifying the usage of a “compact” parking spot.
Currently the Martin jetpack is classified as a recreational vehicle, but it is restricted to non-urban airspaces- at least for now. The potential customers are those rich enough to spend $100,000.
