The Martin Jetpack

[baronbeeza]

jetpackaviation.com/

[saratoga]

Nah, you can see the strings...just like Thunderbirds!

[Deleted]

I'm breathless after watching that. Someone actually did it. I'm off to read their website, and convince Sam we need this instead of a house/food.

Aside from endurance it seems to leave the Martin design well and truly behind. Wow.

[Barnsey]

Don't write them off yet!!

Arabian Business
Dubai Civil Defence signs deal to buy 20 jetpacks
Monday, 9 November 2015

Dubai Civil Defence has signed an agreement with New Zealand-based firm Martin Jetpacks for delivery of 20 manned and unmanned jetpacks.
The memorandum of understanding, which was signed at Dubai Airshow, will also include simulators, spares parts, support services and both pilot and engineer training for appropriate civil defence and fire service personnel.
Martin Jetpack unveiled the Dubai Civil Defence-branded jetpack at the airshow, after it made its debut at Paris Airshow in June.
Peter Coker, CEO of Martin Jetpack told Arabian Business that the local authority in Dubai was one of a number of Middle East government agencies interested in looking at investing in the technology, which has been around for a number of years.
“It was designed about 35 years ago, so it has gone through a lot of design ever since, and now we're into commercialisation,” Coker told Arabian Business.
“There are two ducted fans driven by a two-litre, two-stroke V4 engine, which has 200 horsepower. It flies 74 kph, up to 3,000 feet, and has about 30 to 45 minute endurance right now. It can carry up to 120 kilograms and can be flown manned or unmanned, like a UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] or a drone. Of course, it's a heavy-flight UAV unlike the little ones that carry up to 8 kilograms, we can carry up to 120 kilograms.”
The Martin Jetpack, which is able to be flown by a pilot or via remote control, can take off and land vertically (VTOL) and because of its small dimensions, it can operate in confined spaces such as close to or between buildings, near trees or in confined areas that other VTOL aircraft such as helicopters cannot access.
This highly responsive tactical air asset allows for rapid deployment for Civil Defence roles such as; Intelligent surveillance, Initial intervention, heavy lift payload drone, high rise rescue, and rapid deployment of specialist teams.
As an added safety feature, the jetpack features a low opening ballistic parachute along with carbon fibre landing gear and pilot module.
The jetpack is expected to retail at somewhere between $200,000 and $250,000, making Dubai Civil Defence’s deal worth somewhere in the region of $5 million.
Lt Col Ali Almutawa, director of operations at Dubai Civil Defence, said the jetpacks will enable first responders in the emirate to give a fast and professional service when it comes to dealing with emergencies in Dubai.
“Dubai is one of the fastest growing future cities in the world, with its modern skyscrapers and vast infrastructure. It has always been a world leader in adapting new technology to improve and save people’s lives, [and] the introduction of Martin Jetpacks into our fleet of emergency response vehicles is another example of how Dubai leads the world,” he said.
The deal will also include initial training services and operational support with sale is subject to agreeing a supply contract.

[madmac]

If you think developing a jet pack is hard, manufacturing any decent quantity is still far more demanding, Martin Jetpack still has a very long way to go.

As for the Jetpack JB-9, the engine failure case looks interesting probably producing something looking like a spinning top, and would those engines keep the turbine disc in if it let go?

[The Red Baron]

The Martin Jetpack is still restricted to flying at 2m over land or 3m over water until such time as they come up with a low altitude ballistic recovery chute.Which apparently is not expected to happen anytime soon.

[Deleted]

madmac - looking at the website Martin haven't done any manned testing in a long time, let alone production variants. CAA certified them for manned flight in 2013 but I haven't seen any evidence of tests happening (they do now have orders for close to 300 machines though). Their website doesn't seem to mention any further testing except unmanned. It'll be interesting to see what the flight displays at Warbirds Over Wanaka next year consist of.

The JetPack Aviation outfit proclaim a ballistic parachute for their JB-10 model, which I imagine is the next one to appear in a year or two. I can't see any info as to whether that's a low-altitude one or not.

But the fact for me remains the JB-9 is the jetpack of my childhood (and recent) dreams, whereas the Martin designs are much more like small aircraft.

[The Red Baron]

Flying golf cart......Story click here

[Dave Homewood]

Now that would be the ultimate in lazy.

[johnnyfalcon]

Unconvinced...

[Peter Lewis]

Starting to look terminal:

"Jetpack shares dive as Martin Aircraft Company shareholders offload.

Shares in the ASX-listed Jetpack company Martin Aircraft Company commercialising a Christchurch inventor's machine have nosedived over the past week to a new low of A14 cents a share.

The decline is due to disappointment at progress but more immediately because about 30 original investors had been released from trading restrictions under ASX rules, chief executive James West said.

One or more of them have been cashing up since the restrictions were lifted on February 24, he said.

The share price has declined from A45c last September, and A$1.75 two years ago, against a background of dissatisfaction from shareholders."

i.stuff.co.nz/business/89942755/jetpack-shares-dive-as-shareholders-offload

[Deleted]

Yesterday, or the day before, they posted a photo (I think it was on Twitter) of three or more "Jetpacks" on the assembly line for customers, complete but for parachutes. So Peter's link is not what I expected!! 14c...I don't know much about shares, but that seems rather low.

[The Red Baron]

Theres issues with the parachute,they basically have to invent a ground level opening ballastic parachute before it can ever fly more than the a few feet high."Years away" is what I was told.
They should stick a tail rotor and turn it into a helicopter which it has now nearly become,its morphed miles away from something you strap on your back an fly away.

[Dave Homewood]

There are now several far better, more compact jetpacks out there so I think these guys have completely missed the bus.

[craig]

I wrote to them a long time ago suggesting they had an air bag system for low level flight and conventional parachute for higher level. Never got a reply...

[madmac]

They should stick a reduction box on the front of the engine & sell it to homebuilders, least then they would have one production line running (200 hp with a weight of 48 kg, so may be 100 kg installed in an aircraft).

It is a very technically difficult design point, very light weight rotor-aircraft, so lots of difficulties are not surprising. A mechanism for a low speed parachute deployment system already exists in NZ its called a net gun.

There are now several far better, more compact jetpacks out there so I think these guys have completely missed the bus.

most of those fail fall in the not very safe at all category.

[dodgy]

It is a piece of shite and a complete waste of a 500cc (not 2 litre) 2 stroke motorcycle engine

[lumpy]

Mar 3, 2017 13:28:41 GMT 12 dodgy said:

It is a piece of shite and a complete waste of a 500cc (not 2 litre) 2 stroke motorcycle engine

A Quick " Google " suggests that the " custom " V4 2 stroke engine has been ditched in favour of a rotary engine .( think rotary car engines , not rotary aircraft engines ) . 

[skyhawkdon]

Drone technology, including manned drones is rapidly overtaking this design. They have missed the boat as they say.

[The Red Baron]

Jetpack shares dive as Martin Aircraft Company shareholders offload
Shares in the ASX-listed Jetpack company Martin Aircraft Company commercialising a Christchurch inventor's machine have nosedived over the past week to a new low of A14 cents a share.

Story Here