The KuangChi Martin Jetpack has officially made its debut, flying for more than five minutes over the OCT Harbour in Shenzhen, China.
The Martin Jetpack consists of a gasoline engine driving twin ducted fans that produce enough thrust to lift the pilot and sustain a stable flight path. In essence, the invention is less of a Jetpack and more of mini helicopter similar to the Hiller Flying Platform of the 1950’s.
The Martin Jetpack can carry commercial payloads of up to 120 kilograms (265 lbs), with a maximum flight time of 45 minutes, with speeds of up to 80 kmph (50 mph).
This technology has a wide range of applications including search and rescue, military, recreational and commercial applications.
Safety is a key feature of the jetpack as parachutes can deploy from the device in 0.68 seconds if the system detects certain risk. Additionally, in the instance that the pilot releases their hands during flight, the jetpack will engage into a hovering mode.
The debut event also gave KuangChi the chance to display their series of futuristic innovations, which included the Cloud mini, a balloon-like platform. The Cloud mini lifts into the air using helium and is equipped with a buoyancy system.
During the event, KuangChi also demonstrated the Cloud mini’s capabilities for urban surveillance.
KuangChi Martin Jetpack hovering over the OCT Harbour. Photo courtesy of KuangChi Science.
KuangChi also established its Iron Man Club at the jetpack launch. This club plans to attract partners from all around China to operate a wide variety of innovative products and services worldwide; including the Jetpack.
The debut flight mission for the KuangChi Martin Jetpack was undertaken by Michael Read, who is the director of Flight Operations for the Martin Aircraft and a veteran pilot. For more information, visit their website here.