“Presenting the Martin Jetpack. You could own it in just two years. New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Co. is making futuristic personal jetpacks a reality. Using a 200-horsepower engine, the jetpack allows for 30 minutes of flight time traveling at 45 mph with a top altitude of 3,000 feet. There’s even a pretty serious abort system built in.
“This is built around safety from the start,” Martin CEO Peter Coker said, according to Reuters. “Very similar to a Formula One racing car, and finally what we actually have is a new ballistic parachute that is the basis of recognizing the way that we can be as safe as we possibly can. It opens at very low altitude and actually saves both the aircraft and the pilot in an emergency.”
Of course, it won’t come cheap: The Martin website says it aims to get the price under $150,000, but military and emergency versions of the jetpack could reach up to $250,000. And there’s a bit of a wait: Personal units will be ready by the second quarter of 2017.
“I think the first responders will see that as a massive improvement to their capability,” Coker told Reuters. “So, for example, in the fire services, going around to look at the situational awareness of what’s going on, perhaps through water security or even search and rescue on beach patrol, something along those lines. Naturally for the ambulance service, getting to a point of importance of rescuing people in the shortest possible time.”
Here’s to living your Rocketeer fantasies, you crazy kids.”
Source: Mic.com
