Jetpack Flies at Smithsonian Futuristic Conference - Video

The jetpack was demonstrated at the Smithsonian Magazine hosted event on Saturday May 17th, 2014 in Washington D.C.

Those of you pondering the future and wondering where your jetpack is, take heart: A human pilot flew a real jetpack for 20 seconds in front of a packed crowd here Saturday (May 17) at the "Future is Here 2014" festival, hosted by Smithsonian Magazine.

The pilot flew around inside the cavernous atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

The jetpack can fly for a maximum of 26 seconds before it runs out of juice, according to Jet PI, which built the futuristic flying device.

The demonstration was the jetpack's first indoor flight in the United States, apart from the company's warehouse.

The jetpack is fueled by hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen gas, which react in the presence of a silver catalyst to produce jets of compressed steam that provide the necessary thrust, company officials said.

The pilot uses a handle on one hand to control the pack’s flight dynamics, including roll, pitch and yaw, and uses the other handle to control the power.

The contraption itself costs between $100,000 to $150,000, but you can’t buy one of these bad boys in stores yet (at the moment, you can only buy the parts and assemble them).

The past, present and future of jetpacks will be featured in an upcoming Smithsonian channel documentary.

The "Future is Here 2014" festival is a two-day event celebrating outer space, science fiction and the technologies of tomorrow. The conference features talks on everything from robots to human evolution to life beyond Earth.

Martin Aircraft seeks funding to get Jetpack off the ground

The New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Company is continuing test flights and is now seeking investors to help bring the manned Jetpack to market in mid 2013.

Last year, Martin Aircraft entered an intensive flight period that saw an unmanned version reach an altitude of 5,000 feet at a climb rate (which was limited to allow the chase helicopter to keep up) of 800 ft/min (4 m/s) and also involved the first test of its ballistic parachute system.

Additional remote control test flights expanded the flight envelope and the company now reports that the unmanned version is now regularly being flown at speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph) in winds of 15 km/h (9 mph).

A manned flight demonstration that is likely to take place in Auckland, has also been planned for later this year.

To get the Jetpack to market, Martin Aircraft is seeking 100 investors willing to put in US$20,000 each.

The company hopes this will allow it to release a manned Jetpack aimed at search and rescue, law enforcement and other Government services by mid 2013, with the personal version launching about a year later.

The company also plans an IPO later this year or early next year.



Source: Martin Aircraft

Jet Man Flies Over Swiss Alps - YouTube

A self-styled "jet man" has performed another death defying stunt - flying alongside two Albatross aircraft above the Swiss Alps.

Adventurer Yves Rossy flew in a custom-built jet suit over the mountain range in formation with the aircraft.

Rossy, 51, launched himself from the side of a helicopter before taking his place alongside the two jets high above the Alps.

Jetpacks fly in London

A man takes to the skies of London in Trafalgar Square with a jetpack to celebrate the launch of the game Halo: Reach

Springtail jetpack - family transport

Alternative jetpack designs use ducted fans, like this Springtail from Trek Aerospace, or turbojets instead of rockets. These should be able to stay in the air for longer.

Jetpack needs a boost

A rocket belt like this one was featured in the James Bond movie Thunderball in 1965, but this and later models all suffer from the same problem: they can't carry enough fuel to fly for more than around 30 seconds.