Up, Up and (throw $250,000.00) Away!
August 8, 2007 7:46 PM Subscribe
Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana, for example, is selling a $250,000 jet pack that runs on hydrogen peroxide and keeps its wearer aloft for a whopping 30 seconds. Jetpack International offers a cheaper version for $155,000 that provides three more seconds of lift. Oh boy!
So. A quarter million for 30 secs on Hydrogen Peroxide.
Both companies are promising advanced models within the year that are powered by either propane or actual jet fuel. The lift time with these more combustible fuels is expected to be 19 minutes.
Which with oil prices, means we are waiting for a model that runs on friggin jet fuel for a total of 19 minutes of airtime that will probably cost half a million.
How much is 19 minutes worth of jet fuel anyways? In 5 years, how much will that be?
I feel cheated. I want a jetpack with 6 hours of airtime that runs on HotPocket wrappers and AOL trial CDs.
And an iPod dock.
posted by lazaruslong at 7:56 PM on August 8, 2007 [5 favorites]
So. A quarter million for 30 secs on Hydrogen Peroxide.
Both companies are promising advanced models within the year that are powered by either propane or actual jet fuel. The lift time with these more combustible fuels is expected to be 19 minutes.
Which with oil prices, means we are waiting for a model that runs on friggin jet fuel for a total of 19 minutes of airtime that will probably cost half a million.
How much is 19 minutes worth of jet fuel anyways? In 5 years, how much will that be?
I feel cheated. I want a jetpack with 6 hours of airtime that runs on HotPocket wrappers and AOL trial CDs.
And an iPod dock.
posted by lazaruslong at 7:56 PM on August 8, 2007 [5 favorites]
You'll just burn your ankles off, kid.
posted by sourwookie at 8:00 PM on August 8, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by sourwookie at 8:00 PM on August 8, 2007 [2 favorites]
I gotta add, Mexican Jetpacks that run on Hydrogen Peroxide sounds like something Stephen Colbert would be angry about / afraid of.
posted by lazaruslong at 8:03 PM on August 8, 2007 [3 favorites]
posted by lazaruslong at 8:03 PM on August 8, 2007 [3 favorites]
I'd rather have a Mr. Fusion, myself.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:04 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:04 PM on August 8, 2007
"Here is your damn jetpack"?
And here's your damn bananas Yobananaboy.
That was a let down. I wanted something fun like flying dude.
posted by nickyskye at 8:04 PM on August 8, 2007 [1 favorite]
And here's your damn bananas Yobananaboy.
That was a let down. I wanted something fun like flying dude.
posted by nickyskye at 8:04 PM on August 8, 2007 [1 favorite]
Jet packs? Shit, we were supposed to have those decades ago. This late in the game, you'd better bring anti-gravity belts or go home.
posted by mullingitover at 8:07 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by mullingitover at 8:07 PM on August 8, 2007
So? Where are the frictionless skis and exploding frisbee launchers? Without those the jetpack is boring.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:16 PM on August 8, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:16 PM on August 8, 2007 [1 favorite]
It's the Eighties, So Where's Our Rocket Packs?
posted by bigbigdog at 8:24 PM on August 8, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by bigbigdog at 8:24 PM on August 8, 2007 [1 favorite]
Paging hover boards don't work on water for eponysterical opportunities in aisle 63664.
posted by djgh at 8:26 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by djgh at 8:26 PM on August 8, 2007
I'm more excited about the fact that the marines in Starcraft II are going to have jetpacks. Because, well, I'll be able to afford Starcraft II.
posted by Citizen Premier at 8:29 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by Citizen Premier at 8:29 PM on August 8, 2007
I can make a post about jetpacks so much better than this one...but the question is, will people really care?
posted by StrikeTheViol at 9:16 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by StrikeTheViol at 9:16 PM on August 8, 2007
I'm with mullingitover, this rocket/jet thing is so 20th century. We live in the future, and as such, should be using gravic displacement devices and the like. We may have a couple of centuries before teleportation and stuff, but we should definitely be floating around and shit.
Additionally; we are really going to need to have some semblance of artificial intelligence soon, and it's going to need to come with speech recognition. I'm tired of this keyboard shit, I need to be able to tell my computer "Say something clever on Mefi for me".
And someone please explain to me why all this wasn't put into effect seven years ago when it became 'The Future'? I was given promises in the early '70s and I'm still waiting on way too much stuff here...
posted by quin at 9:34 PM on August 8, 2007
Additionally; we are really going to need to have some semblance of artificial intelligence soon, and it's going to need to come with speech recognition. I'm tired of this keyboard shit, I need to be able to tell my computer "Say something clever on Mefi for me".
And someone please explain to me why all this wasn't put into effect seven years ago when it became 'The Future'? I was given promises in the early '70s and I'm still waiting on way too much stuff here...
posted by quin at 9:34 PM on August 8, 2007
I gotta add, Mexican Jetpacks that run on Hydrogen Peroxide sounds like something Stephen Colbert would be angry about / afraid of.
It's funny because it's true.
posted by bennie at 9:38 PM on August 8, 2007
It's funny because it's true.
posted by bennie at 9:38 PM on August 8, 2007
Heck, I never even got my atom-powered autogyro.
posted by skyscraper at 10:04 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by skyscraper at 10:04 PM on August 8, 2007
Besides, didn't the Mythbuster Boys do a show on jetpacks and bust the idea?
posted by dejah420 at 11:28 PM on August 8, 2007
posted by dejah420 at 11:28 PM on August 8, 2007
A rocket belt is a slim belt-like object. That utilizes actual rockets. With fire.
Hence, this is not a "rocket belt".
Anyway, screw 'em both. I want a giant killer robot and a Jupiter brain.
posted by loquacious at 12:25 AM on August 9, 2007
Hence, this is not a "rocket belt".
Anyway, screw 'em both. I want a giant killer robot and a Jupiter brain.
posted by loquacious at 12:25 AM on August 9, 2007
When I say, "where's my flying car" or "where's my jetpack" what I'm saying is, where's one that I can actually afford, that works, which is awesomely cool? This is none of those things.
I still want my flying car, my jetpack, my robot mistress, my Mister Fusion, my remote control weather device, my transporter pad to kickass vacation spots, and aliens from other planets with witty repartee and amusing anecdotes about cattle mutilations, AND I WANT ALL THIS AND MORE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:22 AM on August 9, 2007 [1 favorite]
I still want my flying car, my jetpack, my robot mistress, my Mister Fusion, my remote control weather device, my transporter pad to kickass vacation spots, and aliens from other planets with witty repartee and amusing anecdotes about cattle mutilations, AND I WANT ALL THIS AND MORE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:22 AM on August 9, 2007 [1 favorite]
Don't you kids know nuthin'? You get yer flyin' contraption, and next thing you know there be Nazi's chasing you and yer best girl all around town tryin' to steal it from ya'. Sheesh.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:13 AM on August 9, 2007
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:13 AM on August 9, 2007
A quarter of a million dollars? That makes no sense.
75k for the jet pack, 175k for the company's liability insurance.
posted by Quonab at 6:44 AM on August 9, 2007
75k for the jet pack, 175k for the company's liability insurance.
posted by Quonab at 6:44 AM on August 9, 2007
Now that I've got my jet pack, can anyone tell me how to land the damn thing without breaking my freaking legs?
posted by Pollomacho at 10:38 AM on August 9, 2007
posted by Pollomacho at 10:38 AM on August 9, 2007
Where is my robot mistress?
posted by Iron Rat at 12:05 AM on August 9 [+] [!]
For real, I stopped caring about jet packs the instant I realized that the increasingly rapidly approaching singularity will bring with it realistic robotic sex slaves.
posted by shmegegge at 10:47 AM on August 9, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Iron Rat at 12:05 AM on August 9 [+] [!]
For real, I stopped caring about jet packs the instant I realized that the increasingly rapidly approaching singularity will bring with it realistic robotic sex slaves.
posted by shmegegge at 10:47 AM on August 9, 2007 [1 favorite]
I'm still disappointed that HAL was supposed to have become operational more than 16 years ago.
And Skynet was supposed to have become self-aware more than 11 years ago.
posted by porpoise at 1:21 PM on August 9, 2007
And Skynet was supposed to have become self-aware more than 11 years ago.
posted by porpoise at 1:21 PM on August 9, 2007
Which with oil prices, means we are waiting for a model that runs on friggin jet fuel for a total of 19 minutes of airtime that will probably cost half a million.
When you possess tens of millions, hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars...well, these jetpacks are a cheap frivolity. A bit of fun, paid with casual cash.
The ultra-rich do not inhabit the world you and I share.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:24 PM on August 9, 2007
When you possess tens of millions, hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars...well, these jetpacks are a cheap frivolity. A bit of fun, paid with casual cash.
The ultra-rich do not inhabit the world you and I share.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:24 PM on August 9, 2007
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posted by Pope Guilty at 7:49 PM on August 8, 2007