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Behold: The Water-Powered Jetpack

46 points| himaniamoli | 15 years ago |buzz.yahoo.com | reply

16 comments

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[+] jonmc12|15 years ago|reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4xb1NXvE_w <- this link shows of the jetpack including a demo of a 'shark-attack' maneuver, as well as gratuitous girls in bikinis.
[+] Luyt|15 years ago|reply
Yeah, but I found it a bit disappointing that those girls actually don't fly the jetlev. Maybe it requires an enormous amount of muscle power?
[+] msarnoff|15 years ago|reply
It's a real-life version of FLUDD from Super Mario Sunshine!
[+] sneak|15 years ago|reply
Last summer, I met the guy who does the R&D on these. Is that the coolest job ever, or what?
[+] TeMPOraL|15 years ago|reply
Without taking anything from Raymond Li, who did something awesome, is this really a brand new thing, as the article seems to say? I think I remember seeing water-powered jetpacks on TV (Discovery, I think) years back. Does anyone remember any previous attempts on devices like that?
[+] dalore|15 years ago|reply
Well reddit had a link to this same jetpack 2 years back. I think the news part is that it's about to launch commercially so you can actually buy one.
[+] JoeAltmaier|15 years ago|reply
The hose seems to act as a kite's tail, providing stability.

It is cool, but I wonder if the 'tail' reduces the feeling of free flight. It certainly tethers you, restricting your range. Could this be useful for work on oil spills? Marine biology? Coast guard?

[+] jleader|15 years ago|reply
Any one else notice the motor/pump trailer spewing white smoke? I assume it's a souped-up reorganized pwc, with a 2-stroke engine?

Clever hack, though.

[+] StavrosK|15 years ago|reply
Yep, it looks like it's on some kind of buoy and you just sort of lug it around. It looks very fun. Although, I don't know why an engine, a hose and a nozzle cost 136k. I guess R&D, so I expect the price to drop to $500 eventually?
[+] tlrobinson|15 years ago|reply
Looks like a fun toy, but not a practical mode of transportation. Might as well just use a jet ski.
[+] DrStalker|15 years ago|reply
So long as it's marketed as a fun toy and not a practical transport there's nothing wrong with that.

Recreation is full of inefficent ways of doing things just because they are fun.

[+] mhb|15 years ago|reply
I wonder how much noise it makes.