I guess "Where's my Jetpack?" can no longer be the battle cry of the paleo-futurism movement.
Mexican start-up Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (TAM) offers its custom-built TAM Rocket Belt for $250,000, which includes flight and maintenance training. On a full tank of hydrogen peroxide the belt weighs 124 to 139 pounds (the bigger the pilot, the bigger the belt), and provides 30 seconds of flight. TAM's sole competitor is Jetpack Inter national, a Colorado-based company that sells what it calls "the world's longest-flying jet pack." Technically speaking, it's true — the hydrogen-peroxide-burning Jet Pack H202 can stay in the air for 33 seconds, 3 seconds longer than TAM's model. The H202 weighs 139 pounds, and is competitively priced at $155,000, flight classes and all.
See also:
Where's My Jetpack? (2007)
Jet Flying Belt is Devised to Carry Man for Miles (New York Times, 1968)
Jet Pack Video (1966)
A Wonderful Day to Fly (1980)
Are these a revolutionary step over prior jetpacks? I don't know that I'd call a less-than-a-minute flight on a 6-figure jetpack something that guts the "Where's my jetpack?" motto. By the same reasoning "anyone" can go into space -- if you have $20,000,000. I think that implicit in "where's my jetpack?" is a reasonable amount of flight time and distance (for example, to get me 4 miles between work and home), and a reasonable cost (to make it competitive with a car, motorcycle or other form of personal transport).
ReplyDeleteI was trying to find information on the commercial in the 80's, where, if I'm not mistaken, Kirk Cameron's wife, Chelsea Noble, applies blush and asks "How do you like them apples?" Which, if you think about it, is just like a woman to ask. Good thing she has dear Kirk, and sweet Jesus to guide her back from her farding, peacock ways. Strangely, your site was the top hit on google when I entered: "How do like them apples?" commercial. What is even more surprising? I'm Jess Meddock. Small world (wide web).
ReplyDeleteA Mexican jetpack? Well, must work since there are so many illegal immigrants leaping across the border to the USA.
ReplyDelete