From Popular Science comes this article about the development of a real-life jetpack, a technological fantasy for many of us. Juan Lozano, a self-taught Mexican rocket scientist may someday become one of a handful of people in history to make an untethered flight with a rocket belt.
Believe it or not, he uses 90% hydrogen peroxide which expands to 5,000 times its size and converts to steam that will reach 1,300˚F, and thus provide the thrust to hoist him 30 feet into the air.
I'm glad to see someone working on this. I've wanted a jetpack all my life and, honestly, I thought we'd be farther along by now.
15 comments:
The technology is much more difficult than originally expected. Maneuvering is difficult, and test pilots were always having their asses cooked.
Ahh yes, I can't wait to get one either...cause Neo won't let me fly with him.
I thought I saw that on Wonderful World of Disney when I was a kid.
As for Tiki, hopefullu he'll learn. At least you can understand him. Some of these people are mushmouths.
Yes, there have been more than a few accidents. Those researchers are a braver lot than I am.
I'm still waiting for the Jetson's flying car - LOL!
Are you serious?!? People can't be civil, obey the rules of the road and safely operate powerful vehicles when they're only allowed to go on a HORIZONTAL axis...you think adding vertical and diagonal is a good plan? ;)
If this technology ever comes to fruition, I'm leaving L.A. for sure...bad enough I have to worry about 14 million people hitting me with a car. I don't need to worry about 14 million people hitting each other in the air and falling on me, too!
marti: OK, now you're really dreaming ;-)
867-5309: naw, I'd hit them with my phaser before they got close to me ;-)
BTW jenny, long time no see!
I was so sad when it didn't work out on MythBusters. How fun would a JetPack be??
Real fun! I think I'm going to look up that episode of Mythbusters. Just to see for myself if they missed something obvious ;-)
I want one too, but I don't want to be a test pilot.
Maybe we'll form a club someday:
Grannies with Jet Packs
I don't know, the other thing that is a problem with jet packs is the shortness of actual flight duration. As Gunny said in Mail Call, "It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a man risking his life to fly fifty feet!"
I'd like the anti-gravity suspensors, too. Remember in the first Dune book where the fat Baron used them to haul his body around? I'm lazy enough I'd do that if I had it available...
I donæt even know what it is :) But I make very good Lasagne :)
j.d.: I like that...go grannies!
jen: I love Gunny & he does make a good point about the 50 feet, but do you think Baron Harkonen's gravity globes are more likely before I'm one of Jamie Dawn's granny brigade? I'm not so sure... ;-)
monika: I LOVE lasagna! That's good enough for me ;-)
The thought of cube shooting off in a jet-pack made me *giggle*. How would one steer such a thing?
sar: go ahead & laugh now. Just wait until you're stuck in traffic & I zip past overhead.
steering? um, I wuld guess you would have to move the angle of the thruster.
Post a Comment