Martin Jet Pack

[cube]

Probably overtaken by technological advances.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-army-is-eyeing-personal-hoverboard-that-can-reach-10000-feet-2017-5?IR=T

Combat soldiers could one day take be taking their exploits to new heights - literally.

The FlyBoard Air, a hoverboard that can fly its operator in the sky at 10,000 feet — more than seven times the height of the Empire State Building, was recently on display at Lake Havasu in Arizona, where its creator, Franky Zapata, was seen flying it around over the course of several days.

[Bob Kane]

I might be wrong but that seemed like a piss-take, fake news hoverboard to me.
Flying over water seems credible (you wouldn't be allowed to fly it over land) but that much power from something so small?

[eri]

[Bob Kane]

So it was a piss-take, fake news item?

[eri]

10,000' and franky zapata

seemed too much to me

but in digging it looks legit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20wa5J2mIoM

[Bob Kane]

The video look cool but I don't understand how it works.
I would expect that hoverboard to be unstable but it doesn't seem to be.
So a remarkable invention.
But perhaps a bit too remarkable.
I would expect widespread coverage of it in newspapers and tv.
But I've only seen this one video on Youtube posted several times.
Is it for sale anywhere? - Or why not?

[eri]

haven't seen anyone flying at 10,000' either!

[Bob Kane]

The Martin Jet Pack never got off the ground

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112920307/jetpack-over-and-out--the-funding-has-run-dry

A $50 million flop in the end.

[Perry]

Another one of these productive enterprises that PIs ought to be investing in, eh what?

Unfortunately, it was a flop from the start.
A jet pack that did not have a jet?

Even the successful ones have yet to solve the power failure problem.

Whether jet-powered back-pack, or anti-gravity sled (or whatever), if something goes wrong while scooting along at 200 feet all such splendid-idea-things have the gliding abilities of a brick outhouse.

Things would be very messy at the point of ground impact.