Jetpacks? This Mexican Rocketeer's Been Flying Them In His Backyard For Years
Posted by Motherboard on Friday, Feb 26, 2010
About darn time: a New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Company is going to start selling commercial jetpacks at $75,000 a pop. The 200-horsepower dual-propeller packs can “reach heights of up to 2,400 metres and top speeds of 60mph” and are finally going to give the power of flight to any old Shmoe without a pilot’s license.
But to be fair, they aren’t exactly jet packs. They’re powered by two propellers to create lift—not by jets (video here). For the real thing, you need to go down to Mexico.
Juan Manuel Gallegos, who we met recently (see the Motherboard video above), has spent the past 30 years devising and building and test-flying a full stable of rocket-powered conveyances in the backyard. It’s good work if you can get it—he makes about $20,000 for appearances at events, and offers his hydrogen-peroxide-powered Rocket Belt package for only $125,000. But that was before the New Zealanders glided in on their big fat fan packs.
See more of the Motherboard video mother lode, like our piece on the Madagascar Institute, who are homebrewing rocket-powered carnival rides.
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