Company wants to launch jetpack next year

The company Martin Jetpack wants to bring a jetpack on the market next year. The ‘flight suit’, which would have been in the works for 35 years, is expected to cost $150,000. The wearer can fly up to 1km altitude.

Martin Jetpack is a project by New Zealander Glenn Martin. In 2011, the company was already experimenting with a prototype. This could fly a kilometer high, after which the pilot had to make the landing with the aid of a parachute. The new jetpack, called P12, is expected to hit the market next year, with an asking price of $150,000, Reuters reported. This also contains a parachute for landing.

The engine in the P12 offers 200 horsepower. The jetpack, with a maximum weight of 120 kg, can be lifted up to a height of one kilometer for up to 30 minutes. The cruising speed is 75 km/h.

According to the maker, the P12 is especially useful for emergency services, for example because it is possible to land at locations where helicopters cannot reach. The company has also built a simulator to test the P12 in a virtual reality environment using an Oculus Rift.