Martin Jetpack officially unveiled, lifts off on video

One of mankind's most adored gadgets (yes, the jetpack) is moving one step closer to mainstream today with the unveiling of the Martin Jetpack. Revealed in front of a crowd in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this human transporter is technically defined by the FAA as an "experimental ultralight airplane, equipped with a gas-powered, V-4 piston engine and two ducted fans that provide the lift." Currently, the $100,000 machine can only hover for around 30 minutes and rise to 8,000 feet, and those who sign up to purchase one will first have to complete 15 hours of flight training as well as a "safety screening." Check out an all-too-short video after the jump to see the device lift off, float around and land -- totally underwhelming, but the optimistic few will surely see promise.

Read - Martin Jetpack unveiling, video
Read - Details on Martin Jetpack
Read - More photos from EAA AirVenture

[waiownsyou @ Jul 29th 2008 1:26PM]

Sweet. Two bad those two guys had to handle the steering.

I like the guy in the end who yellowed, "I WANT ONE!" in the background. LULZ

[waiownsyou @ Jul 29th 2008 1:26PM]

Too*

-_-

[neofolklore @ Jul 30th 2008 8:11AM]

hm I read this as Martian at first

[Daniel @ Jul 29th 2008 1:26PM]

Holy crap. Can we get an engadget giveaway of one of these?

[John Doe @ Jul 29th 2008 1:32PM]

off the topic but what happened to the engadget giveaways for Bill Gates' day?? who got those??

[badengadget @ Jul 29th 2008 3:13PM]

Like most Engadget competitions you never find out!

They're all too happy to take your details and "how you would change X gadget" data to be sold to companies as marketing data, but they never tell you who has won! Booooooo!

[adimo @ Jul 29th 2008 1:26PM]

Ginger is quaking in her tracks!

[someone @ Jul 29th 2008 1:27PM]

Evaaaaaaaaaaa!

[sk @ Jul 29th 2008 1:28PM]

If there is no jet engine, it is not really a jet pack.

[Michael Scrip @ Jul 29th 2008 1:33PM]

Fan Pack?

[Golferal @ Jul 29th 2008 1:57PM]

Fan-ny pack!

[Dan @ Sep 30th 2008 9:29PM]

What is a jet? An external combustion engine? A turbine engine? Then what's a jet boat? What's a jet ski?

I agree, it's not what I *thought* a jet pack would be, but if you go to the website and look at their definition of a jet, you'll see that "jet" is not a clearly defined word in terms of the technology. This qualifies as a jet pack by one definition.

BTW, fan-ny pack had me rotfl!

[Todd @ Jul 29th 2008 1:28PM]

WANT!

[Jeff @ Jul 29th 2008 2:17PM]

but it's totally fake... those 2 guys are just really really strong.

[Jason @ Jul 29th 2008 2:40PM]

What are you talking about? If it was fake, then why are all the people cheering so exstacica...exta...oh hell they're just not very excited okay.

[Bunson @ Jul 29th 2008 3:08PM]

I think what Jeff was trying to do is what us humans call a joke. Do you know what a joke is?

[Jason @ Jul 29th 2008 7:39PM]

Had to reply to note that I watched this the first time at work with no sound. The cheers you hear -> voiceover. Watch it again muted, it's like a graduation audience. Sad.

[Adam @ Jul 29th 2008 8:44PM]

Na, they're not really strong - you can see the wires lifting it up.

[Jason @ Jul 29th 2008 10:49PM]

Yeah Buns, mine was a joke too, get a jetpack and lighten up, man.

[Yevon @ Jul 29th 2008 1:29PM]

Ok. Let me get this straight. It is 2008 and we don't all have jetpacks. I was promised jetpacks by now.

[Joseph @ Jul 29th 2008 2:12PM]

Very unfortunate sir. Alas, it's time to go back into CryoStasis, Mr. Disney.

[NHAnimator @ Jul 29th 2008 2:12PM]

It's in the trunk of your flying car. Check behind the instant food maker.

[evplasmaman @ Jul 29th 2008 2:33PM]

Yeah! And where is my frikin moon base vacation!

[Dakota @ Jul 29th 2008 8:55PM]

From the site I normally go to:
WHERE'S MY FLYING CARS

[d @ Jul 29th 2008 1:30PM]

what are you people talking about? they never let go!

[Jason @ Jul 29th 2008 2:48PM]

Oh silly, they're just there so it doesn't break his legs when he lands from 2 feet off the ground.

[Travis @ Jul 29th 2008 2:55PM]

Or so that he doesn't go out of control and fly into the crowd.

[Sharak @ Jul 29th 2008 1:30PM]

I wish they would have completely let go of it for a sec for Flamers sake.
And lol, at the end of the vid some1 screams ''I WANT 1 !!''

[Adam K @ Jul 29th 2008 3:01PM]

Ask (actually read the article) and you shall receive.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25907397#25907397

[PlayForWrench @ Jul 29th 2008 1:35PM]

ok does any one rember the one from thunderball the real one that really worked and was about a 1/3rd the size? yeah when did we take like 2 steps back?

[boulderhorn @ Jul 29th 2008 1:49PM]

that one had about 1-3 minutes of flight time in it before it needed to be recharged/refilled. with 30 minutes of flight time out of one tank of gas, this thing has much greater potential. The real "jet" pack you are thinking of used hyrdogen-peroxied as a propellant and not gasoline to power an engine... and it was WAY cool and WAY ahead of it's time.

[ssrat_ @ Jul 29th 2008 2:01PM]

THAT one STILL can not do more than 30-45s even after all these years of development

One of the reasons this works is that you can carry around more fuel than any jet pack, and it has a slower rate of consumption.

Mythbusters was looking at online plans (build your own send ME $29.95)

Depending on cost/production/ease of use, I could see this going from "toy" to practicle use in various fields.

[Jason @ Jul 29th 2008 2:51PM]

Well, at least it's practicley practical.

[ScooterDe @ Jul 29th 2008 5:38PM]

it also featured at the LA Olympics opening ceremony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvwd5gYaILI
('jet man' is 1 minute into the video)

[Kingus @ Jul 29th 2008 1:36PM]

Those two guys must've gotten real tired after holding that guy and his suit up for more than a minute!

[Don @ Jul 29th 2008 4:53PM]

I wonder if the 2 guys come with the jetpack, cause they dont leave him an inch..

[Apoco-Lips @ Jul 29th 2008 1:36PM]

Those dude's are just holding him up!!

HOAX! :D

[Anton @ Jul 29th 2008 1:36PM]

do want.

[John H. @ Jul 29th 2008 1:36PM]

now we just need to work that into one of those power enhancing exoskeletons and we just might be able to fend off our robot overlords. and if that doesnt work, maybe we'll be able to pass AS a robot overlord.

[JR @ Jul 29th 2008 2:35PM]

I for one, welcome our robot overlords with their jet packs of oppression.

[Les @ Jul 29th 2008 1:37PM]

Pfft. Fake.

But I am really impressed with the two guys lifting it up, they must be super buff.


:)

[David @ Jul 29th 2008 1:37PM]

Anyone using this thing for a while will probably go deaf.

[NHAnimator @ Jul 29th 2008 2:13PM]

What?

[Don @ Jul 29th 2008 4:57PM]

YOU'RE RUNNING LOW ON GAS!!!!!!

[LordJohnWhorfin @ Jul 29th 2008 1:40PM]

Take that, Mythbusters!

[anonymouspimp @ Jul 29th 2008 1:41PM]

Yeah, as long as these guys are holding onto the thing to make sure it doesn't go spinning out of control and crush the guy (or spectators), I just can't help but be unimpressed.

Can we see some footage of this thing cruising around at 8000 feet? Or is 8000 feet and 30 minutes of flight time what you hope to some day accomplish?

[Junior @ Jul 29th 2008 1:49PM]

My thoughts exactly. I mean, if you're going to make a big deal about your oh so amazing "jet pack" cruising at those altitudes, the least you can do is prove it. Among many other things, it's obviously still not useful. I want a jet pack so that I can avoid traffic and travel a long distance. I'm not going to pay 100,000 dollars, which I don't have, so I can go to Wendy's and come back!!! That's preposterous!! Besides, since when is the concept of the jet pack the size of a smart car?!

[RadicalxEdward @ Jul 29th 2008 1:53PM]

No it's made in tech measurements, it's not 8000 ft and 30 minutes it's 8000 ft or 30 minutes with two guys holding you.

sounds kinda wrong if you ask me.

[switchbitch @ Jul 29th 2008 2:06PM]

I'm gonna fan the 'those guys were holding him up' flame by saying that what we just saw could have been done without the engines.

Here's two guys holding up another guy. Well rattle my bones, what a miracle.

Also, it's kind of a bummer that engine failure at 8,000 feet = certain death, unlike most other flying machines where engine failure = a controlled descent to the ground.

And how much does it cost to power this thing? Probably considerably more than any other, safer form of transport. I'm calling a fail on this.

[tha-don @ Jul 29th 2008 2:28PM]

you can't just cruise up to 8,000 feet whenever you want. you'd have to take off from a designated area and have approval to take off at all.