Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Jetpack Juan

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:

Jay Noel said...

The technology is much more difficult than originally expected. Maneuvering is difficult, and test pilots were always having their asses cooked.

Trinity13 said...

Ahh yes, I can't wait to get one either...cause Neo won't let me fly with him.

Unknown said...

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.

cube said...

Yes, there have been more than a few accidents. Those researchers are a braver lot than I am.

Marti said...

I'm still waiting for the Jetson's flying car - LOL!

8675309 said...

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!

cube said...

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!

Anonymous said...

I was so sad when it didn't work out on MythBusters. How fun would a JetPack be??

cube said...

Real fun! I think I'm going to look up that episode of Mythbusters. Just to see for myself if they missed something obvious ;-)

Jamie Dawn said...

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

Jen said...

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...

Minka said...

I donæt even know what it is :) But I make very good Lasagne :)

cube said...

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 ;-)

Sar said...

The thought of cube shooting off in a jet-pack made me *giggle*. How would one steer such a thing?

cube said...

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.