Geek of the Week: Man Invents Personal and Affordable Jetpack that's going into Production
Did you ever wonder why we're still not all zipping around in Jetpacks? Why does 007 get to do it the movies, and we don't? Well, New Zealand's Glenn Martin wondered the same thing back in 1981, but unlike you and I, he did something about it. He said to himself in his Kiwi accent, "I want fly on a Jitpick." So the dude invented one, and it is quickly becoming more affordable, and is so easy and safe to pilot (and they've been working on making it even easier), that after only 45-minutes of training you can hop on and take it for a spin. This makes the Segway look like a little b*t¢h!!!
Up to this point, Jetpacks have been way out of anyone's price range, ran for only 30-seconds or so, and required a great amount of skill to pilot. Though it's not the slim and sexy sci-fi jetpack of the future, or even the dangerous piece of metal like in the Rocketeer, the Martin Jetpack is still a sleek and powerful machine... and you know you'd give anything to ride one.
Here's a list of features:
- No pilot’s license required because it weighs less than 254 pounds (115kg)
- Runs on premium gas from a gas station
- 30 mile range at 60 mph
- Has reached heights of 8000 ft, which destroys the previous record of 152 Feet set back in 2004
- Includes low altitude ballistic parachute and internal roll cage for safety
Last year the Martin Aircraft Company was looking at producing around 10 units of their Jetpack at $100,000 each. Not all that affordable for the average consumer. But now the Martin Aircraft Company has teamed up with an unnamed international aircraft company, the new partnership has secured enough capital to begin producing 500 jetpacks a year at a cost of around $75,000 each. Still pricey, but knocking 25 grand off the price tag makes it all the more likely the average person can get a chance to ride one.
Martin is by far the smartest and well deserving of our past Geeks of The Week, mostly since his geeky ways could actually benefit and come of use to the rest of the world. It could be perfect for the emergency services, private users and even the military... it could save lives!
The first few seconds of the demo video from last year is nothing but badass. Check it out and let us know if you'd want one of these!
For more info and photos visit the Official Martin Jetpack website.