| Perhaps no other invention idea has failed to live up | | | | Martin believes he has made the safest jetpack ever |
| to its promise like the jetpack. Since the 1920s, | | | | built. And, most importantly, Martin's invention can |
| science-fiction literature and films have propagated | | | | actually propel people into flight. |
| the notion that we'd all be flying around with | | | | At the Air Venture show, the pack has been test |
| jet-powered backpacks by now. But, despite noble | | | | ridden by journalists from "Today" and The New |
| efforts, that dream hasn't quite come to fruition... Or | | | | York Times - though not to great heights (around 6 |
| has it? | | | | feet). In fact, due to safety concerns, no one has |
| For 27 years, Glenn Martin, an inventor from New | | | | really gone very high using the pack. But Martin |
| Zealand, has been secretly developing what he calls | | | | seems confident the packs will eventually enable |
| "the world's first practical jetpack". And, for the first | | | | people to soar up to 8,000 feet in the air. Martin |
| time, Martin unveiled the invention this past Tuesday | | | | claims his team simply wants to be sure they fully |
| at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisc. - a show | | | | understand how to control the device before rising |
| devoted to all things aviation. Martin says he hopes | | | | to more dangerous heights. And, in the next six |
| to start selling the devices next year at a price of | | | | months, Martin plans to take the pack up to 500 feet |
| $100,000 per pack. Along with companies like | | | | himself. |
| Mexico's Tecnologia Aerospacial Mexicana (TAM), | | | | While Martin, who has worked in the pharmaceutical |
| Colorado's JetPack International and California's | | | | and biotechnology fields, may not necessarily seem |
| Thunderbolt Aerosystems, Martin Jetpack now | | | | like a man who has been secretly working on a |
| becomes a key player in the race to market the first | | | | jetpack in his garage, it is a dream he's had since |
| personal jetpack. However, as Martin is quick to note, | | | | college. It was there he studied the approach the |
| this is not the jetpack worn by James Bond or The | | | | Wright brothers to inventing and began his elaborate |
| Rocketeer. | | | | plans for the jetpack. Along with getting his wife and |
| "If someone says, 'I'm not going to buy a jetpack | | | | son onboard (literally - each has flown with the pack), |
| until it's the size of my high school backpack and has | | | | Martin also managed to allure New Zealand's |
| a turbine engine in it,' that's fine," Martin said. "But | | | | number-one venture capital firm, No. 8 Venture, to |
| they're not going to be flying a jetpack in their | | | | invest in the invention. |
| lifetime." | | | | But even if Martin's jetpack becomes the first to |
| Since the 1960s, several jetpack designs have been | | | | market, he may soon face stiff competition from |
| built but none have flown for more than a minute. | | | | some of the other companies developing jetpacks |
| While not quite the sleek, compact unit people | | | | (even if none of the packs actually incorporate jets - |
| typically picture when they think "jetpack", Martin's | | | | including Martin's). The trio of companies previously |
| machine can run for up to 30 minutes. Currently, | | | | mentioned have all claimed to have personal jetpacks |
| Martin's eleventh prototype stands about 5 feet tall | | | | (or rocket belts) nearly ready for the market. But |
| and features two enormous rotors and a | | | | despite targeted release dates, a multitude of design |
| 200-horsepower engine. It weighs about 250 pounds | | | | problems have left all the other jetpack companies |
| and provides 600 pounds of thrust. But it is a | | | | unable to deliver so far. So the question remains - will |
| surprisingly streamlined device - even incorporating | | | | Martin's pack be any different? And the even bigger |
| safety features like a ballistic parachute in case an | | | | question: will we finally see the personal jetpacks |
| emergency bail-out is necessary. Though openly | | | | we've been promised for the past forty years? |
| acknowledging the bar has not been set very high, | | | | |