Hamartia Antidote
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantm...ar-wars-style-flying-motorcycle/#387d00701636
A rendering of JetPack's Speeder, a flying motorcycle concept.JETPACK
JetPack aviation made a lot of headlines in 2015 when it launched its JB-9 wingless jetpack, a backpack-mounted pair of jet engines built for personal flight. For the last three years, JetPack has been refining that hardware and preparing it for limited commercial launch, while running splashy, public demos around the world. In the meantime, it's also been working on another concept: a flying, jet-powered motorcycle.
Launched on YouTube this Tuesday, the Speeder, an obvious reference to the flying motorcycles used in the Star Wars franchise, is still in its concept stage, but JetPack has already built out specifications and marketing collateral. It's currently taking pre-orders for commercial versions of the flying motorcycles for eventual delivery in Los Angeles. To reserve a motorcycle, potential customers need to put down a $10,000 deposit and eventually drop $380,000 on the full build. According to the company's website, only 20 of the Speeders will be created for commercial use; the rest of the company's future production will be dedicated to military and other government applications.
To many, $380,000 may seem like a lot of cash, but to others, it's tough to put a value on ownership of a limited-edition flying motorcycle.
As spec'ed out, the commercial speeder will weigh 231 lbs and be powered by four jet engines fueled with kerosene, diesel or Jet-A fuel. An ultralight version of the speeder will fly 60mph and won't require a pilot's license; alternatively, an experimental version of the craft will be able to fly over 150mph, but will require a formal license to fly. That aircraft should also have 30 minutes of flight time with 1200lbs of max thrust and a flight ceiling of 15,000 feet, though JetPack fully admits that most of its customers won't need that.
According to David Mayman, CEO of JetPack, the group is targeting a first prototype of the Speeder within 14 months, and they've already built an operating, 1/3 scale prototype which is undergoing test flights. That puts commercial deliveries of the final Speeders at some point in 2021.
As to the fate of the backpack style jetpacks, Mayman confirmed that the group is still working on development of that platform and has matured the technology from the JB-9, which launched in 2015, to the JB11, a six-engine version of the craft that flew last year. Currently, JetPack is refining a new JB12 design with a longer flight time under a contract with the US Navy.
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