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Behold: The Water-Powered Jetpack
- sneak 16y agoLast summer, I met the guy who does the R&D on these. Is that the coolest job ever, or what?
- jonmc12 16y agohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4xb1NXvE_w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4xb1NXvE_w <- this link shows of the jetpack including a demo of a 'shark-attack' maneuver, as well as gratuitous girls in bikinis.
- Luyt 16y agoYeah, but I found it a bit disappointing that those girls actually don't fly the jetlev. Maybe it requires an enormous amount of muscle power?
- demosthe 16y agoI want that REALLY HARD!
- jleader 16y agoAny one else notice the motor/pump trailer spewing white smoke? I assume it's a souped-up reorganized pwc, with a 2-stroke engine? Clever hack, though.
- StavrosK 16y agoYep, it looks like it's on some kind of buoy and you just sort of lug it around. It looks very fun. Although, I don't know why an engine, a hose and a nozzle cost 136k. I guess R&D, so I expect the price to drop to $500 eventually?
- tomhenderson 16y agoI'm sure the price will drop if they catch on but, assuming it's basically a hacked jet-ski with a hose & harness attached to it, they still won't be cheap. A jet ski can set you back anywhere from $10k - $50k around here, so it's still a luxury item for most.
- StavrosK 16y agoAh. The engine is from a jet ski, you mean? You might not be able to buy one for cheap, but you will be able to rent one for $20, so it's still good.
- noonespecial 16y ago6k for the machine, 130k for the manufacturer's liability insurance. If you really want to be depressed, look into what those $400 fiberglass ladders at Home Depot actually cost to produce.
- tlrobinson 16y agoLooks like a fun toy, but not a practical mode of transportation. Might as well just use a jet ski.
- DrStalker 16y agoSo long as it's marketed as a fun toy and not a practical transport there's nothing wrong with that. Recreation is full of inefficent ways of doing things just because they are fun.
- msarnoff 16y agoIt's a real-life version of FLUDD from Super Mario Sunshine!
- TeMPOraL 16y agoWithout taking anything from Raymond Li, who did something awesome, is this really a brand new thing, as the article seems to say? I think I remember seeing water-powered jetpacks on TV (Discovery, I think) years back. Does anyone remember any previous attempts on devices like that?
- dalore 16y agoWell reddit had a link to this same jetpack 2 years back. I think the news part is that it's about to launch commercially so you can actually buy one.
- JoeAltmaier 16y agoThe hose seems to act as a kite's tail, providing stability. It is cool, but I wonder if the 'tail' reduces the feeling of free flight. It certainly tethers you, restricting your range. Could this be useful for work on oil spills? Marine biology? Coast guard?
- mhb 16y agoI wonder how much noise it makes.