Jetpacks to Take Flight in China?
For any fan of the science-fiction genre, the jetpack trope is as recognizable as flying cars or phasers set to stun. In movies and comic books, the hero-protagonist simply straps on a rather conveniently-sized backpack and blasts off into the wild blue yonder to save the day. But the reality of the situation is far less dramatic, with most once-interested parties (the U.S. military leading the charge) declaring the jetpack to be an inefficient waste of time – at least with the technology that is on offer today. But that has not stopped one New Zealand-based company from building a prototype and bringing it to China. Granted, the single-person aircraft from the Martin Aircraft Company is not a jetpack in the traditional sense of the word, as it uses ducted fans for propulsion, but it still caused something of a stir on December 6 as it underwent its first public demonstration in the southern city of Shenzhen. The jetpack was presented by Kuang-Chi Science Ltd., Martin’s Hong Kong-based joint venture partner, along with an announcement that the company has signed agreements for 100 manned jetpacks and 20 simulators. But what could the jetpack possibly be used for? This is not the jetpack as portrayed in the 1991 movie The Rocketeer (never mind how the hero of that movie didn’t burn […]
ECONOMY WATCH Science & Technology Dec 9, 2015