Personalised jet pack set for lift-off in New Zealand
The New Zealand developers of a personalised jet pack said yesterday that aviation regulators have issued the device with a flying permit, allowing for manned test flights.
The New Zealand developers of a personalised jet pack said yesterday that aviation regulators have issued the device with a flying permit, allowing for manned test flights.
Martin Aircraft chief executive Peter Coker said the certification was a significant milestone in the development of the jet pack, which the company hopes to begin selling next year.
"For us it's a very important step because it moves it out of what I call a dream into something which I believe we're now in a position to commercialise and take forward very quickly," Coker said.
The jet pack is the brainchild of inventor Glenn Martin and consists of a pair of cylinders containing propulsion fans attached to a free-standing carbon-fibre frame. The pilot backs into the frame, straps himself in and controls the wingless jet pack with two joysticks.
A specialised version of the jet pack designed for the military and emergency crews should be ready by mid-2014. A simpler model aimed at the general public is expected to be on the market in 2015, at an estimated cost of US$150,000-US$250,000.
It will come with a parachute in case anything goes wrong.
