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Jet Pack: The Rocketeer takes off, sort of
How will people get around in the future? Motorized unicycles? Off-road Segways? Skateboards with treads? Reasonable contenders, all, but much too land-based. No, we're waiting for Rick Herron to finish up his real-deal, so-wild-you-just-have-to-see-it jet pack before we commit to anything else. Researching jet-pack technology and discovering a stark absence of progress outside of G.I. Joe comics in recent years, Herron took it upon himself to design and build a personal flying contraption that could produce enough thrust to lift a person off the ground vertically — without burning said person's ass off. After taking his credibility to a whole new level by calling his company Skywalker Jets, he built a prototype that weighs about 90 pounds and is said to be able to carry a "pilot" with a weight of over 200 pounds, flying for about 5 minutes, according to the website. Production models, should they ever exist, are planned to have a range of 4 miles. The pack also has a built-in GPS unit — so it'll be easy to locate the giant pancake that was once your body after you slam into the ground at terminal velocity, one assumes. From the thrown-together look of the jet pack and the cheesefest music on the site, you might think the whole exercise is an elaborate practical joke, but the prototype pack was real enough to solicit a bid over $10,000 on eBay (although that was short of the reserve price). Herron estimates that a final working model, should it be approved by the FAA, would cost about 200 grand, or about the same as two Tesla Electric Roadsters. Decisions, decisions. Thanks to Nick for sending this in!
By daenoctem at 5:16 AM ON 08/03/06
The hell?????? I watched the test videos and he's not even flying in the air. What a rip off. :(
By Setal at 6:04 AM ON 08/03/06
Pretty impressive performance. Watch the truckbed toolbox on the ground behind "test station" in Test 1. More than adequate thrust to lift a moderately sized person off the ground.The basic concept is sound but more caution is needed in creating a less hazardous test environment. Good Luck!
By ktlam1955 at 2:19 PM ON 08/03/06
Sounds great but this isn't a new idea. I remember the military had been doing this way back in the 1960's. The problem was that it couldn't carry enough fuel to go very far which is why they never really went beyond the R&D stage. I wonder if he solved that problem. Does anybody remember the jet or rocket packs they used in the James Bond movie, Lost In Space, or Commando Cody TV series?
By mikeb270 at 7:51 PM ON 08/03/06
still a little too bulky for my personal tast
By melourn at 12:41 PM ON 08/04/06
This is the worst application of physics to jet-engines I've ever seen. The Coyote in "The Roadrunner" could've put together a better test-model and although he'd have blown himself to bits as usual- I'd bet that his would be cheaper too.
I honestly thought that I'd be able to see someone lifting off the ground several feet by use of the jet-pack... He never even left he ground from what I could see.
I can't even begin to guess why he thinks the Governmentneeds to "approve sale" to any potentil buyers... This is obviously a recreational "vehicle" if it can trully be called that in the first place.
I mean seriously people- who the hell WANTS to "fly" half a foot off the ground -if that- for ten minutes?
I think it's stupid. The military took it as far as they could- unless you have a nearly limitless power source and a substanially larger yeild of power- this is just a pricey "toy"...again- if that.
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melourn:
This is the worst application of physics to jet-engines I've ever seen. The Coyote in "The Roadrunner" could've put...More »