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Old March 29th 19, 05:18 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Larry Dighera
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Default The Speeder: Jetpack Aviation opens pre-orders on jet powered flying motorcycle (0/1)


https://newatlas.com/flying-motorcyc...speeder/58752/

The Speeder: Jetpack Aviation opens pre-orders on jet powered flying
motorcycle

Loz Blain

March 6th, 2019

An audio version of this article is available.


Jetpack Aviation is taking orders now on its US$380,000 jet
turbine-powered flying motorcycl;e(Credit: Jetpack Aviation)

VIEW GALLERY - 5 IMAGES
Jetpack Aviation has leap-frogged its own flying car project with the
announcement that it's taking pre-orders now on a self-stabilizing,
jet turbine-powered flying motorcycle capable of 150 mph speeds, 20
minute endurance and 15,000 ft altitudes.

Speeds of 150mph and altitudes of 15,000 feet are theoretically
possible
The Speeder will have VTOL capability
The consumer version - 20 will be made - will use four turbojets in a
self-stabilizing...

The Speeder will fly on kerosene, JetA or diesel fuel
The Speeder builds on JPA's jet turbine expertise, developed over the
years working on the company's astounding JB-series jetpacks. It uses
a cluster of four turbojet engines putting out a combined maximum
thrust of 705 lbf – enough to lift the 231-lb (105 kg) airframe and a
pilot up to 240 lb (109 kg).

Crucially, they're also rigged up to a fly-by-wire control system that
allows the Speeder to self-stabilize in the air, much like a
quadcopter drone. Running on kerosene, JetA or diesel, you can get
yourself between 10 and 22 minutes in the air, dependent on pilot
weight and density altitude.

The Speeder will have VTOL capability
It's got hand controls, a 12-inch touch screen for navigation, and a
built-in two-way aviation radio system for air-to-air and
air-to-ground communications. JPA says it will build different
versions to fit ultralight and recreational categories under FAA law,
meaning you'll be able to fly the ultralight version with no license
at all. The experimental category version will need a full pilot's
license, but JPA is in contact with the FAA, trying to have that
reduced to a Recreational Pilot Certificate or Sport Pilot's License
to make life easier.

Like the JB-series jetpacks – and indeed the Zapata Flyboard – it's
more or less a tilt-to-accelerate kind of deal, so it'll be
interesting to see how that's achieved via the controls. In terms of
safety, well, there's some redundancy built into the system, and it
can still self-stabilize if one of the jets goes down. Any more than
that, and you'll be wishing you took the bus that day – but we've
spoken to JPA CEO David Mayman in the past about ballistic parachute
systems and death zone recovery options, so we know that safety will
be high on the company's list of priorities.

The consumer version - 20 will be made - will use four turbojets in a
self-stabilizing...

It doesn't have fold-down jet wheels and alleged road riding
capability like Lazareth's possibly fanciful Moto Volante. At 120
decibels, it's going to be a ton noisier than Dezso Molnar's
GSXR-powered G2 gyrobike. And at a price of US$380,000, it's gonna hit
the hip pocket far harder than the Hoversurf Scorpion multirotor or
the late Larry Neal's sub-US$40k Super Sky Cycle. But it does have
David Mayman and Nelson Tyler behind it, who have proven their
personal aviation credentials with hundreds of jetpack flights to
date, and are taking the whole personal flight thing very seriously.

They've now got the resources of the Y Combinator program behind them
as well, so there's every indication Jetpack Aviation is getting ready
to go big in the coming months and years.

As to the Speeder, the company plans to build just 20 for the time
being. You can reserve one yourself now for US$10,000. After that, all
production will be dedicated to military and government use. The
military version will be slightly different, with an additional jet
turbine for redundancy and extra lift, and the capability to
remote-fly it as a drone or cargo carrier.

We plan to catch up with David Mayman in the next few days to learn
more, but in the meantime, check out a rendered video below.

Source: Jetpack Aviation:
https://jetpackaviation.com/speeder-pre-order/