Chicks Dig Jet Packs
Posted on Dec 10th, 2008 at 3:11 am by Megan in Misc Geek Stuff
Remember being a little kid and envisioning the future? Element-proof metallic suits, flame shooting jet packs, and magic cellular transporters? Well, the future is here – or at least, kind of.
Glenn Martin of Christchurch, New Zealand, has spent the past 27 years developing his fully functioning, gasoline powered, single engine jet pack. It made an impressive American debut in Oshkosh, WI back in July. Even more impressive? The New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology has made two hefty deposits to Martin’s futuristic project. The original donation was $968,430, followed by a more recent and more modest donation of $500,000. Perhaps not wasted dollars, though, as there has been interest in both European and American law enforcement in the search and rescue department as well as the narcotics divisions. Nothing more inconspicuous than a jet pack in a drug raid, right? Riiight.
Looking to own your own personal handy-dandy jet pack? Hate to be the alarm clock on your Star Wars wet dream, but first you need a training course direct from Martin’s company, Martin Aircraft Company Limited, located in Christchurch… and apparently that’s not included in the $100,000 purchase price. I wonder how much those driving lessons will cost you!
Flight Training – Arrangements will be made for you to undergo a training program to lead to certification for flying the Martin Jetpack. It is a condition of sale that you pass the certification test. Training is expected to take 5 days, although it may require up to 15 days. There will be a cost for this training course.
More importantly, I wonder if you can convince the New Zealand Government to fund it. All for a good cause, of course. Nothing helps humanity more than playing light sabers twenty feet off the ground fueled by your single-engine jet pack.
“We’ve made it possible to fly the dream” Martin was quoted as saying. “But the best part of this is that it’s not just our dream. It belongs to everyone.” Keep dreaming, Glenn, keep dreaming.
Further Martin Jetpack reading:
Photos and video from Flightglobal.com
Martin Jetpack gets $968,430 for improvements
Glenn Martin’s “Propulsion device” Patent
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3 Responses to “Chicks Dig Jet Packs”
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I’m impressed. Write more.
hey dats cool as
this device will serve as a great success for our future , just to picture this leaving a yacth & heading on shore to meet with the locals . this will be a hot program … great work Glenn