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Jetpack Inventor Answers the Hard Questions (and One Fun One)
Posted by Mark Wilson at 5:45 AM on August 6, 2008
There's more than a little scepticism surrounding the new Martin Jetpack. Promising a new era of ultralight flight, many of the claims (altitude capabilities and safety, especially) sound too good to be true. Before we took our test flight, we asked Glenn Martin, inventor, some of the tougher questions that we hadn't seen asked anywhere else. Being a good sport, he actually answered them:
What's with all the videos showing people just a few feet from the ground? Can this thing actually go higher or not?
Have you ever had an accident?
OK, what's it feel like to fly?
Links for the rest of our Martin Jetpack coverage:
Hands-on Impressions
Flight Video
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
StealthNinja
Posted 6:11 AM 6/8/08
How far can it travel, and for how long can it stay in flight for; on it's water tank for the energy fuel cell? Plus, does the tank heat up? And can it be made smaller?
StealthNinja
drewkkake
Posted 6:02 AM 6/8/08
Work = transcripts, please.
drewkkake
m4ximusprim3
Posted 5:59 AM 6/8/08
stupid videos don't work from my job.
Can someone summarize please?
m4ximusprim3
Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy
Posted 5:57 AM 6/8/08
@lpc: He's Emo.
Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy
Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy
Posted 5:56 AM 6/8/08
Does it blend?
sorry, I've been holding that back for days now.
Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy
Kevin
Posted 5:55 AM 6/8/08
Way cool, Way cool. Gotta.....have.......one.
Hey I have another good question and idea to pass on to him if you get this before the end of Oshkosh. Has he ever tried using a tethered flight at height, perhaps from a bridge using a bungee cord. That sounds relatively safe and very effective.
Kevin
sternoid
Posted 5:54 AM 6/8/08
does EVERYTHING have to be a video? THREE clips?
the stills of this guy aren't really making me want to clip these clips (in the 2nd one he seems to need to visit the bathroom).
can't you just summarize the frickin answers to the questions and you know, write an article?
sternoid
bobdobbs
Posted 5:53 AM 6/8/08
Is this really a jet pack or more of a fan pack?
bobdobbs
nutbastard
Posted 5:53 AM 6/8/08
@lpc:
no, it's just you wearing lipstick and eyeliner.
nutbastard
lpc
Posted 5:48 AM 6/8/08
Is he wearing lipstick and eyeliner or is it just me?
lpc
siville
Posted 5:47 AM 6/8/08
~0 Here we go again... 0~
siville
v0ice
Posted 6:30 AM 6/8/08
@TerryinSt.Paul:
Very succinct descriptions.
v0ice
Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy
Posted 6:26 AM 6/8/08
@SigmundTheSeaMonster:
+ Watch video
Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy
Xavoc
Posted 6:24 AM 6/8/08
@SigmundTheSeaMonster: I'd say Debris is unlikely unless it is falling from above you.
I'll be curious to see if they come out w/ a paraglider version of this.
Xavoc
92BuickLeSabre
Posted 6:23 AM 6/8/08
@lpc: They just look darker in contrast to his blindingly platinum hair.
92BuickLeSabre
Xavoc
Posted 6:22 AM 6/8/08
@bobdobbs: It's the closest one will ever get to looking cool with a fanny pack strapped around their waist. Let's just leave it at that.
Xavoc
SigmundTheSeaMonster
Posted 6:22 AM 6/8/08
Is there something to protect the intakes? I mean, I hope a bird or other debris doesn't get sucked in...how much fuel does it take and what's the estimated travel distance?
SigmundTheSeaMonster
TerryinSt.Paul
Posted 6:17 AM 6/8/08
@m4ximusprim3:
1)Yes, it can go 400 ft.
2)In the aviation world accidents are called incidents and yes, he has had some incidents. Mostly just bruises.
3)When you start it, it vibrates and is loud. When you leave the ground, it it still loud and the vibration is gone. It feels like you are floating above the ground.
You're welcome.
TerryinSt.Paul
DssTrainer
Posted 6:59 AM 6/8/08
@lpc: You're wearing lipstick too?
DssTrainer
godwhacker
Posted 6:58 AM 6/8/08
more than 30 minutes of fuel is a must
godwhacker
altus
Posted 6:51 AM 6/8/08
This is awesome! Way to go.
The government will require a Pilot's license. But that's a different story....
altus
BongoFury
Posted 6:42 AM 6/8/08
@bobdobbs: fanpack... which means you'll see them on tourists, in all kinds of tacky colors, and... oh wait... that's fannypacks.
BongoFury
ctaylor
Posted 7:18 AM 6/8/08
@TerryinSt.Paul: Thanks!
ctaylor
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 7:17 AM 6/8/08
Nice... funny I saw this on my RSS reader, it looked like Mark was being sarcastic saying the guy didn't answer the questions.
To each question, a picture of the guy just looking to his right with his mouth shut.
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 7:12 AM 6/8/08
@lpc: I'm wearing lipstick, it's just not on my face....
MagnoliaBoy
aelver
Posted 8:10 AM 6/8/08
Whoops forgot vid:
+ Watch video
aelver
m4ximusprim3
Posted 8:08 AM 6/8/08
@TerryinSt.Paul: Thanks you!
So yeah, 400ft? Yo quiero. Now which mattress did I leave that 100k under?
m4ximusprim3
aelver
Posted 8:03 AM 6/8/08
This would be me:
aelver
sakko
Posted 8:00 AM 6/8/08
Unless there is video of this thing at 400 feet, it can only hover in my book. Walk the walk I say.
sakko
citizen024
Posted 7:52 AM 6/8/08
id test the parachute on the first flight:) just fly as high up as it would go:)
citizen024
lazerpenguin
Posted 9:08 AM 6/8/08
Man that guys son is one lucky SOB. When I was a kid I used to steal my dads buick to go to my girlfriends house at night, I can only imagine what this guys son does when dear ole' dad goes to bed!
lazerpenguin
Lodlaiden_
Posted 9:49 AM 6/8/08
@Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy: Yes. It makes a mean mixed drink, and breakfast slurpies.
Lodlaiden_
rabiddachshund
Posted 11:43 AM 6/8/08
@lazerpenguin: I would guess nothing. He apparently lets his son fly it whenever he wants, so no reason to steal it.
rabiddachshund
Efflux
Posted 2:21 PM 6/8/08
Enough criticism! A man who brings Jet Packs to the people is a good man.
Efflux
MachineHead
Posted 5:27 PM 6/8/08
"Can It only go 10 feet off the ground?"
Of course it can. Helicopters, harriers, giant flying anime robots, and jetpacks DO NOT PUSH AGAINST THE GROUND. They accelerate a mass down, resulting in an upward force. The mass they accelerate is air. If the jetpack can throw more than it's weight *down* in air, it will rise up. Altitude limits would come from density altitude. If he demonstrated this at sea level, we could still be skeptical, but he demoed this at a field elevation of 789 feet. So it can at least go to 800 feet on a nice cool day...at sea level. Air will get less dense on hot days and as altitude increases, can it gain any altitude on pikes peak? Maybe not. If his ceiling is 4000 ft MSL, people in denver won't be able to fly it. ever.
MachineHead
6street
Posted 6:48 PM 6/8/08
Just for the people who's videos didn't work, he didn't say it was limited to 400ft he said thats one of the heights he expects people to regularly fly at. :o)
6street
takoattack
Posted 10:39 PM 6/8/08
how about adding text of his responses for those of us not blessed with cubicle speakers
takoattack