Flying Contraptions:
The Wearable Wing
At the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2008 AirVenture air show, New Zealand inventor Glenn Martin unveiled his Martin Jetpack, whose name is a bit misleading; the 250-pound device is equipped not with wearable jets, but with a gas-powered V-4 piston engine and two ducted fans mounted on a frame to provide the lift. The Federal Aviation Administration classifies it as an experimental ultralight airplane. The device is designed to fly for up to 30 minutes and attain an altitude of 8,000 feet. Martin sees the Jetpack, which is priced at $100,000, as a recreational sport vehicle — “a Jet Ski for the sky.” While it might also conceivably provide commuters with a convenient way to escape traffic jams, don’t plan on using one to get to work anytime soon; FAA regulations for ultralight aircraft currently prohibit their use for point-to-point travel. Martin is hopeful that restriction eventually will be lifted.
