Inventor says jet packs ready to take off

AP ^ | Tue Jul 29 | DINESH RAMDE

[RedRightReturn]

From the link:

“The Martin jet pack can — in theory — fly an average-sized pilot about 30 miles in 30 minutes on a full 5-gallon tank of gas.”

It gets 6 MPG at 60 MPH...for $100K a copy.

[fishtank]

Moller......the perennial product of the next year!!!

[Red Badger]

That’s a pretty big carbon footprint!..............

[UCANSEE2]

It looks just like the engines Moller uses.

Advanced Wankel rotary engines running short fat props in a ducted fan concept.

[Redbob]

"The onboard computer keeps the device from crashing and getting out of control."

And what keeps the onboard computer from crashing?
Oh, wait a minute: maybe they're not running a Windows operating system?

[UCANSEE2]

“5-gallon tank of gas.”

More proof they aren’t jet engines, and are the Moller engines.
I heard he was marketing them. Now, I know where.

[Rammer]

LOL, he’s been really, really close for the last 30 years. I’m sure it’s just around the corner.

[gathersnomoss]

What is the hold up? In 1967, I observed a flight inside of Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

[ElectricStrawberry]

Wow....6 whole miles per gallon?

Be fun.....but.....pass.

[Ben Hecks]

I found an article that indicates Glenn Martin is from New Zealand so I assume that he is no relation to Glenn L. Martin.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

The one invented in the late 50s or early 60s was more compact and worked just as well.

As long as you didn't mind the 18-second flight times.

[chuckles]

A ‘67 427 Vette 3 duce convertible 4 speed gets about 12mpg and I bet more women.

[lormand]

"Hollywood has envisioned jet packs as..."

I support everyone in Hollywood getting these things and using them ASAP.

[dvwjr]

You have to have the classic Jonny Quest rocket belts...

dvwjr

[Wiggins]

[az_gila]

The one invented in the late 50s or early 60s was more compact and worked just as well.
As long as you didn't mind the 18-second flight times.

---

...and that 18 second flight time got “Rocket Man” to the top of the Blackpool Tower.

http://www.phoenixblackpool.com/index_files/1986.jpg

Apparently this was one of the most critical flights ever performed, if his landing at the top was aborted, he would not have enough fuel for the descent!

For those in the US, Blackpool is a smaller, cheesy version of Las Vegas, with a smaller sized copy of the Eiffel Tower as a centerpiece. An old time (60's and earlier) holiday destination for the North of England.

http://www.phoenixblackpool.com/index_files/BlackpoolHistory.htm The "Rocket Man" jet pack was the James Bond and the LA Olympics opening show device.

[woofer2425]

This is why I love Free Republic...the comments are always great. Didn’t think about the computer crashing angle. I guess we know what happens if the “blue screen of death” comes up.

[DustyMoment]

The ones invented back then (at least the peroxide-powered ones) had a few minutes of power. Good for short hops or demonstrations but you'd best have been back on the ground before the fuel ran out.

Realistic rocket power was still in its infancy then. If we take (essentially) the same technology, make a few changes for the advances in rocketry over the past 40 years, I still the original as being a better product and not looking like something from a marching band being worn incorrectly.

[EEDUDE]

“To be successful, these backpacks will have to be totally self stabilizing.”

As an engineer and a pilot, no way I’d ever get into one of these. Most aircraft are, by design, either stable, or marginally stable (in the case of modern fighter aircraft).

This thing is not even close. There is NO inherent stability at all. Not even close.

[Bon mots]