I think I read that the bell pack nozzles could move fore & aft independently, just slightly I assume, thus making turning easier/possible. I can't tell if his jet-pack can move the pods this way or not, if not it seems like turning would be difficult to do.

The nozzles on the Bell pack were fixed WRT each other. The whole assembly was mounted on a 2-axis gimbal. They could be rotated fore /aft for pitch, and side to side for roll. Yaw was accomplished by a pair of vanes downstream of each nozzle that diverted the flow slightly. Pitch/roll control was by means of the handle bars, yaw was controlled by rotating a handgrip on one of the handle bars. The handgrip on the other bar was for throttle control.

The original also had a timer which I've heard activated a device that actually knocked on the pilot's head. The noise of the thing precluded any sort of audible alarm. It only had enough fuel for 15-30 seconds.

I hear the Naysayer chant, and I can perhaps understand those posting here saying give the guy a chance.

Forgetting the scam part of the plan, the questionnable business ethics, let us be realistic. Given the capability of some of the greatest development aerospace corporatons worldwide, the cold war of the 80's, why did none of these folks come up with a jetpack?

With current technologies, it was only a few years ago that I saw a rocket take off and land vertically, as enough sophistication and technology existed to allow the puffer vents and the throttle management to meet the tiny tolerances required to do such a thing.

We now have a man claiming all sorts of things based on 8 turbines pointing at the ground. Was it only just this month that the crowds were wowed with a "hovering" Rookie jet with thrust vectoring. Well that proves you can do it with one, but I don't know how long it lasted for, and forward flight was only possible because the damn thing had wings!!!!

Now don't get me wrong, I cannot honestly think of much that would be cooler than a functional jet pack, fun and exhilerating, practical and I can think of a million and one uses.

But to seriously consider this mans explanations, his slippers and helmet, duct tape hanrness and I cant even see wher the damn fuel tank is going to be mounted is not something I can do without ROFLMAO

I just hope he is safe when the exercise is done.

And wasn't that supposed to be yesterday??

Gazzer

There will just be more excuses about delays due to this or that. My prediction: There will be no attempt.

This fellow has alot of kind words For Mr Skywalker..

[link=http://superbee.lightspd.com/rants-and-articles/the-next-darwin-award-2.html]Jet Pack Report[/link]



bob

Great find Bob.

My favorite quote from that site: ""The size of your average back pack." (I guess if your name is Hagrid it might be of average size. Otherwise, for the rest of us it’s like strapping a Yugo to your back.)"

ROFLMAO!!!!

Just followed that link....and fell off the couch - again!

-wet myself as well...wonder if he accounted for that during the flight? - lol

That link rocks.

I just got an email update from this guy tonight, here is what he had to say about the test he had planed. lol

I love the -This was my first attempt to start the engines - Maybe this would have been good to try before you claimed it would fly....

Just what I was expecting....

I nominated him for a Darwin, usually you get these post humously, maybe we can prevent a death......

Gazzer

Personally I love the very neat and tidy layout of this fantastic bit of high class engineering I'd pay $200K just to watch him try this out.



Got to admire his brass neck (going to need it). Perhaps he should team up with some guys I have had the misforutne to have met over the past number of years.


ROFLMAO!!!! on the Darwin Awards link.

The best quote for his website yet...."as a sophomore at a technical university with a G.P.A of 3.84, and an IQ of 135"

I'm with you guys on the Darwin award. I know a lot of brilliant people, both with high and low IQs, but if you have not common sense, you're screwed. I think this guy fell off the fool tree and hit every branch on the way down.

Mark

...I give him credit for trying, but I feel there is a lot more of the scientific method he has left out.

He sounds like a man that fell out of a well and landed in a tree. I hope him the best. He looking for gov. research dollars. My 2 cents

David Hudson

www.dcmodelshop.com

HA!

Luge,


Pictures paint a thousand words, though it got too far off the ground for my liking!!!!

Imagine what you could do with 8 of those babies on your luge!!!!![&:]

Gazzer

I imagine I could not do much with 8... I am having problems figuring out where to put the fuel for just 2 of them.

I have some new concerns... I knew it was only a matter of time for someone to try.... and I am concerned about the safety of these not so thought out copycat designs and implemented with duct tape rides in the UK.





ugh!

Luge,

Having read with considerable interest your adventures, I can only say, the pictures above show how to badly implement a good idea. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and this in no way is flattering to you. I am sure many would agree that your design, the questions you ask and thirst for information you clearly show the demand for, will do several things for you. Firstly they show your professional and sensible, secondly, will provide a design that will function safely, and thirdly will give you even more fun as it functions reliably. Oh and it probably will go a damn site faster too!!!

I have done silly things in the past, and got away with most, and so can understand the keeness to throw something together and give it a go as it seems like a fun idea at the time. However, fun can turn into disaster so quickly, that with even a modest ground speed, some real pain can be experienced and with a tank of kerosene and temperatures over 400 inches from your head, consequences could be very lasting.[:-]

I can see why they would do such a thing but think they may not have thought through what it might do to them. Its like watching all the boy races having fun with their cars on a cruise, until it gets out of hand and someone gets hurt, or worse, at the outset it seemed like a good idea.........

Mind Rocketman could help them, his duct taping was more subtle and his protective gear full (or is that fool) proof!

Gazzer

So what is happenign to jet pack man????

Has he done the deed has it flown.....

I thought you'd be interested in what the Darwin award committee thought.... I did nominate him

"Well, the guy may be a crackpot, or he may be on to something (my gut feeling is that he's a crackpot). Nevertheless, nothing has yet happened to him, so we can't give him an award. In all fairness, people thought the Wright Bros were crazy when they proposed to fly. DO PLEASE keep us posted, however. His "test" was apparently cancelled by "bad weather", and we will want to know how the test eventually works (or doesn't work) out. Thanks for submitting! "

Thus he is possibly on for one of these, if he ever tries the machine, or whether it proves it was a scam.[:-]
Update anyone?

Gazzer

There's never going to be an update cause all he will do is continue making excuses. At least that is my prediction. You don't need to be the Great Karnac for this one!

hahaha

at least he is still alive

Well this guy is still at it. Check out the latest update from his site. Wonder what a tetherd flight is???


As of 2/13/06 I am still waiting on better weather to set the propane regulators, and glow plug voltage levels. The weather would not be an issue if I had these items set to there optimal positions before the cold weather arrived. I am dealing with propane that saturates due to the cold air outside, combined with the cooling effect of expelling gas from a pressurized container. I have vacation time next week, so I am planning on running the engines up the week of the 19-25 of Febuary. Once these engines have ben properly set, the tetherd test can commence at that point. I have also been consulting with companies that I feel are purtanent to the safe and reliable production of the new jet pack design design.

It appears that more likely he fell out of a plane into the "Wacko" forest and ran into every tree trying to find his way out. According to his latest updates........

"The production model jet pack will have an integrated global positioning system. One purpose of the GPS is to see where you are, and where you are going. The other purpose is to help the jet pack run efficiently, and easily. For example, during start up you need propane gas to get the engines up to operating temperature? If you were at Los Angeles the settings for the propane regulators would be different than in Boulder Colorado."

1) Where in the world is he going to mount the GPS?
2) You will already know where you are and where you are headed. (hopefully anyone would already know this)
3) He says that you will be able to fly for 10 minutes. A 10 minute fly time isnt going to get you to some remote part of the African jungle where you would need GPS to find out where youre at.
4) The "Propane" regulators need to be set???? What adjustments could there be to the "regulators", I mean the "open/close" valves that let the propane flow? Does anyone else out there make any adjustments to their engines/starting equipment after flying in lets say Arizona then leave to go fly in California? Or do you simply set up and fly?

Someone please point out who is off their rocker here this wack job or me. LOL

He also says he has "10 units on order". I wonder if 5 of them are "Me, Myself and I, the guy in the mirror and the black figure that follows him everywhere he goes"?

With 10 on order, you would think that he would have some sort of down payment for each. At 100k down payment each, you would think that he could afford to take a couple of days off to go where it's warm enough for him to "set" the regulators. I guess when you have a million bucks on the side you can't just call in sick for a couple of days. LOL THIS IS JUST TOO CORNY!!!


....yes I was bored.

if someone gave him money, he's probably been or may still be in hawaii..

- ROFLMAO!!!!!

- Hilarious!..... just slap this guy with the monkey and be done with.

Funny that...I'm in Canada right now, in snow, and the propane regulator on my BBQ couldn't give a rat's rear end what temperature it is outside - nor could the propane that happily flowed out to cook the two sirloins for dinner on Sunday.

I want some of the glue this guy's on - should hold my Sukoi together dandy...

Guys, you're missing out the best part...
http://www.skywalkerjets.com/wst_page2.html

"My name is Richard Herron, as a sophomore at a technical university with a G.P.A of 3.84, and an IQ of 135, I decided to strike out on my own to pursue this project. Normally, I would never say or write anything like my level of intellect, but I needed to quail the concerns of some that feel that I am stupid to put it bluntly."

Who told him we were making fun of him ?

The show still goes on...