Jetpack Video: Glenn Martin inventor - jetpacks start production

by Sudha Krishna | March 17, 2010 at 03:08 pm

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New Zealand Inventor Glenn Martin company will soon start production of Jetpack - Rocketman and Jetson's reality almost here.
Strap a jetpack on and fly gracefully through the air or zip through the air like a Rocketman, courtesy of New Zealand inventor Glen Martin.

Glenn Martin, Jetpack Inventor

Engineer Glenn Martin first unveiled his jetpack a year ago in New Zealand and now ahead of schedule with a initial jetpack production run of 500 units costing about $75 thousand each. Glen Martin says he has had strong interest in the jetpacks with Richard Branson interested and Google founders taking the jetpack for a spin.

Glenn Martin says his jetpack has been 28 years in the making as it was an idea he first started tackling when he was a 21 year old college student. Now his dream is a reality. The jetpack uses a five gallon tank of gas and it can go up to 60 mph with a range of about 30 miles per tank and it travel to almost 1.5 miles high.

The jetpack, which can lift up to 120 kilograms (265 pounds), has two propellers that generate lift. The air in the propellers moves at about 300 km per hour, creating an upward thrust. The pilot uses both hands to fly, one on the throttle and one for steering.

Glenn Martin hopes the jetpacks initial customers will be emergency services, governments, and other private sector companies that could use the type of mobility and flexibility the jetpack offers.