JetLev
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A surfboard attached to a firehose is a... hoverboard?
A few years ago, JetLev developed a jetpack that let users float in mid air, so long as they were on the water. Using that same principle, French jet ski champion Franky Zapata developed the Flyboard, which let you follow behind a speedboat with a set of water-powered rocket boots. A few years later, and Zapata is back with the Hoverboard, which does the same job, but attached to a board with a single nozzle hanging out back. Now, aquatic daredevils and perform tricks and stunts to shame nearby surfer dudes. If there's one downside, it's that you'll spend the better part of $6,000 on one of the units -- not to mention owning or having access to your own speedboat.
Water-propelled jetpack is no dream, can be yours for $99,500 this March (video)
It's taken a long time since that 2005 patent was filed for, but Raymond Li is now finally ready to bring his water-propelled jetpack to the money-spending world. Nailing down a March 2011 launch date and a price of $99,500 hasn't been easy for the inventor, who says his efforts to procure capital and prototyping quotations were mostly met with incredulity -- "almost everyone thought I was crazy." His JetLev personal transporter relies on an engine and fuel tank (which remain on the water's surface) to pump H20 into a backpack that then shoots out streams of the drinkable stuff to keep your airborne. Top speed is 22MPH, max height is nearly 33 feet, and the fun factor is somewhere off the scale, whether you're talking metric or imperial. Levitate past the break for a video demonstration. [Thanks, Suraj]
Water-powered Jetlev makes jetpacks fun for non-daredevils
We first caught sight of this bit of technology in patent form way back in 2007 but, in a bit of a twist, it's now actually come to fruition, and could well soon be hurling you across a lake near you. As you can imagine, the jetpack works as described in the patent, with it employing a flexible hose / tether that gets paired with a separate vessel that houses the propulsion engine and other related systems. That apparently greatly improves the thrust to weight ratio compared to a standalone jetpack, and makes the system a good deal safer as a bonus. While it's still undergoing tests, the company says it'll be accepting orders for the first model, a 155 HP version, in April of this year, and it says that the first venues offering "flights" could be up and running as soon as this summer. Until then, you'll just have to make do with the video after the break.[Thanks, JC]
