Tannith CattermoleMarch 7, 2010The Martin Jetpack

The Martin Aircraft jetpack is the first commercially-available jetpack

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It's been a long time coming. While Arthur C. Clarke's satellites have taken to space, and James Bond's futuristic mobile technology has become common place, still the dream of sustained personal flight has eluded us. But the future is here! Finally we can all take flight as Martin Aircraft in New Zealand releases the first commercially-available jet pack!

A bit of history...Like many science fiction concepts, the jetpack design has become firmly entrenched in the collective psyche: ask anyone to draw you a jetpack and they will give you a man with two fiery pods strapped to his back gravitating him skyward. We owe much of this to James Bond's Thunderball, which served to advertise the most successful of all the jetpack inventions; the Bell Rocket Belt.

Developed by the U.S. military in 1961 with the aim of producing an all-terrain vehicle to move military commanders around a battlefield, the Bell Rocket Belt could only maintain flight for 26 seconds on a full tank of fuel. After the film was released the subsequent clamoring for sales only served to prove what a marketable product a jetpack might be if one could be properly developed. Sadly with such limited application the Bell Rocket Belt was consigned merely to film work and TV appearances.

More recently, aside from the exploits of a brave few like Yves Rossy, attempts to realize a one-person flying machine ranging from flying exoskeletons to ion-propelled and water-drive technology have failed to gain momentum.

In 1998 and Martin Aircraft of Christchurch New Zealand was formed with the specific aim to build a jetpack that improved on the Bell Rocket Belt's record fly time by 100 times. The concept, developed by Glenn Martin, manager of Martin Aircraft in 1981, was verified by the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Since then nine prototypes have been developed and it is lucky number nine that in 2005 broke the mold and achieve sustained flight times.

The technology

The Jetpack is constructed from carbon fiber composite, has a dry weight of 250 lbs (excluding safety equipment) and measures 5 ft high x 5.5 ft wide x 5 ft long. It's driven by a 2.0 L V4 2 stroke engine rated at 200 hp (150 kw), can reach 8000 ft (estimated) and each of the two 1.7 ft wide rotors is made from carbon / Kevlar composite.

There is always risk associated with flying so Martin Aircraft has been careful to equip the pack with redundant systems that will take over in the event that the main system goes down. If a crash-landing is required, a pilot-operated toggle will rapidly fire a small amount of propellant deploying a ballistic parachute (similar to a car airbag) which will allow the pilot and jetpack to descend together. It also has an impact-absorbing carriage, patented fan jet technology and 1000 hours engine TBO (Time Between Overhaul). Small vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) are not subject to the same limitations as other helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts but Martin Aircraft have built it to comply with ultralight regulations and therefore suggest it as at least as safe to operate, and claim it is the safest of all jetpacks yet built.

The Jetpack achieves with 30 minutes of flight time and is fueled by regular premium gasoline, though you will undoubtedly earn some disbelieving stares at the petrol station. Since it has been built according to ultralight regulations no FAA recognized pilot's license is required to fly one in the U.S., though this will depend on a country's specific requirements. However, despite being significantly less complex than a helicopter to fly as pitch and roll are controlled by one hand, thrust and yaw by the other, Martin Aircraft won't let anyone take receipt of their jetpack before completing their specially-developed Martin Aircraft Company approved training program. The pilot must also weigh between 140-240 lbs.

Tell what I really want to know: how can I get my hands on one?

After nine prototypes Martin Aircraft have an accurate expectation for how much a jetpack will cost, and suggest that at $86,000 it is pitched at the level of a high-end car. As sales and production volume increase they expect this to drop to the price of a mid-range car. A 10% deposit buys you a production slot for 12 months hence; progress payments are made during manufacture with final payment due on delivery. Details and a deposit contract are available from their Martin Aircraft's website.

And when will I be able drive it to work? Again it's a waiting game as currently air traffic control technology is not yet advanced enough to cope with jetpacks, but the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing "highways in the sky" technology - 3D highways based on GPS tracks. Initial tests have been positive but the technology is unlikely to be implemented for another 10 years yet so for the meantime initial use will remain recreational as with jet-skis, snowmobiles and ultralights. Until then we'll keep waiting and watching the sky...

马丁喷气背包

7年cattermolemarch坦弥斯，马丁jetpack

马丁飞机喷气背包是第一个商用的Jetpack

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已经很长时间了。而亚瑟C.克拉克的卫星带到太空，和杰姆斯债券的未来移动技术已成为共同的地方，仍然持续的个人飞行梦想没有我们。但未来是在这里！最后，我们都可以把马丁飞机飞行在新西兰发布第一个商用喷气背包！< / P > 一点历史…像许多科幻小说的概念，Jetpack的设计已经成为根深蒂固的集体心理：要求任何人给你画一个背包，他们会给你一个男子两火热荚背着他向上的引力。我们感谢杰姆斯这个债券的雷霆万钧，作为广告的所有喷气背包发明最成功的；贝尔火箭带。由美国军方开发的1961个目标是生产一个全地形车辆移动军事指挥官在战场上，贝尔火箭带只能维持飞行26秒，在一个完整的燃料罐。影片上映后，随后要求销售只能证明什么，适销对路的产品设备可能如果可以适当的开发。可悲的是，这样的应用有限的贝尔火箭带被仅仅是电影和电视。

最近，除了勇敢一些像Yves Rossy的功勋，试图实现一一人飞机从飞行外骨骼离子推进和水驱技术未能获得动力。< / P > < P > 1998和马丁飞机新西兰基督城与特定目的形成建立一个喷气背包，提高100倍的贝尔火箭带的飞行时间纪录。的概念，由格伦马丁，马丁飞机1981经理，是由坎特伯雷大学的机械工程部核实，新西兰。此后九样机的研制，它是幸运数字九，2005打破了模具和实现持续飞行时间。

技术

Jetpack是由碳纤维复合材料，其干重250磅（不包括安全设备）和措施5英尺×5.5英尺宽x高5英尺长。它是由一个2升V4 2冲程发动机额定200马力（150千瓦）驱动，可以达到8000英尺（估计）和一个1.7英尺宽的转子是由碳/芳纶复合材料。

总会飞行所以马丁飞机一直小心装备包冗余系统，将在该事件中的主要系统风险下降相关。如果迫降时，飞行员操作的切换将迅速火少量部署弹道导弹降落伞推进剂（类似汽车安全气囊）将允许飞行员和火箭降落在一起。它也有一个冲击吸收运输、专利风机射流技术和1000小时的发动机的TBO（大修间隔时间）。小飞行器垂直起降（VTOL）不受相同的限制，其他直升机和固定翼飞机但是马丁飞机建造符合规定，因此建议轻至少为安全操作，并声称它是安全的而建造的所有背包。

< P >的Jetpack的达到30分钟的飞行时间，由常规优质汽油，虽然你无疑会赢得一些怀疑的盯着加油站。既然已经根据超法规没有FAA认可执照的飞行员必须飞一个建在美国，但这将取决于一个国家的具体要求。然而，尽管比直升机飞行俯仰和滚转控制的一方面明显不太复杂，由其他推力和偏航，马丁飞机不会让任何人完成他们专门开发的马丁飞机公司批准的培训计划之前，把他们的Jetpack的收据。飞行员也必须权衡为140-240磅。

告诉我真正想知道的是：我如何能得到我的手吗？

九原型马丁飞机后有喷气背包多少钱一个准确的预期，并建议在86000美元这是定位于高端车的水平。随着销售和生产量的增加，他们预计这将下降到一个中档车的价格。一个10%的存款买了12个月的生产槽，因此，在制造过程中，在交付的最终付款到期付款。细节和存款合同可以从他们的马丁飞机的网站。

当我可以开着它去工作吗？又是一个等待的游戏目前空中交通控制技术尚未先进到足以应付喷气背包，但美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）正在开发的“天空”技术-基于GPS轨迹三维公路公路。最初的测试是积极的但技术是不可能实现的另一个10年呢，同时首次使用仍将娱乐与滑雪、雪地摩托、飞机。到那时我们会保持观望天空…