With your patented human-powered helicopter out on the market, you’re ready to revolutionize transportation. Who cares that they are insanely expensive to build and maintain? You’ve already sold three and figure there’s little risk involved in making another two dozen and selling them on commission. But as luck would have it, this is where your troubles begin. All of a sudden, the media descends on you like a pack of wolves chasing one little bunny rabbit being ridden by a man who should have known better than to suppose he could outrun a wolf pack on foot. They sniff around for weak spots in which to sink their fangs into your seemingly impenetrable defense – trying hard to find weaknesses in both design and execution of your celebrated prototype that will paint you as a mere flight of fancy or hoaxer.
Have you ever wanted to fly? Or did you know someone who has? It’s a very common dream. Some people have even gone a step further and tried to create technology that can turn it into a reality. That’s what this blog is all about. It tells the story of the people who have come before us and share their stories, as well as those who are following in their footsteps to do what others thought was impossible.
How to build a jet pack
There are many different types of jet packs. The most common is the single-stage design, which uses one gas turbine engine. Other designs use multiple engines, solid fuel rockets or even liquid-fuelled rockets.
Jet packs are typically used for a variety of purposes, including recreation, military applications and rescue operations.
Jet pack construction is a complex process that requires knowledge of aeronautical engineering principles and construction techniques. You’ll also need to know how to use various tools and machines properly so you can build your jet pack successfully.
In this article we’ll look at how to build a jet pack from scratch using a single-stage design.
The first step to building a jet pack is to find a suitable location. The ideal place will be away from traffic, near an airport, and with good weather. You also want to make sure that you have enough room so that you can safely take off and land.
The next step is to gather the supplies you’ll need. These include:
A strong metal chest plate
A set of four large pneumatic wheels (at least 4 feet in diameter)
Two small pneumatic wheels (about 2 feet in diameter)
A large tank of compressed air (1/2 inch thick wall)
A coupling for attaching the tank to the chest plate
A control system that allows the pilot to control which direction he wants to go in
An engine capable of producing at least 30 pounds of thrust per second
“I’ve always loved the idea of a jet pack,” says Hank Bromley. “I wanted to build one for myself.”
He’s not alone. For some, the jet pack is the ultimate symbol of futuristic technology. But for Bromley, it was just another project among many he’s undertaken in his workshop.
Bromley is a mechanical engineer by trade and a hobbyist inventor by night. He already had experience building various remote-control vehicles, including drones and hovercrafts. He decided that if he could make those work, then surely he could build a jet pack too.
He started by drawing up schematics of his dream device on paper — a full-sized blueprint with dimensions for every component. Then he started sourcing parts online and built them in his garage using 3D printers and laser cutters.
He designed the fuel system to use hydrogen peroxide as its propellant because it’s non-toxic and costs only $1 per pound (around 0.45 kg). The hydrogen peroxide is stored in two separate tanks that feed into a mixing chamber where it mixes with air before being fed into the engine via pipes made from brass tubing.
The engines themselves are small gas turbines called microturbines, which were originally
DIY jet packs are nothing new. They’re an old idea, one that’s been around since the early days of aviation. In fact, they were built during World War II by the Germans, and they were used to deploy agents behind enemy lines.
But there’s a problem with all these DIY jet packs: they use hydrogen peroxide, which is highly corrosive and can cause serious injury if not handled correctly. But there is another option — liquid nitrogen.
Liquid nitrogen has similar lifting power as hydrogen peroxide, but it doesn’t come with the risk of chemical burns or explosions. It also takes less time to cool down after being heated up, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally freezing yourself while trying to test out your jet pack for the first time.
The downside of using liquid nitrogen is that it’s heavier than hydrogen peroxide and therefore requires more fuel for flight — but it’s still feasible for short distances (about a mile).
The jet pack has been a staple of science fiction for decades. But it’s about to become a reality.
A group of engineers from New Zealand have created the first working prototype of a jet pack, which they hope will be able to fly people into space by 2022.
The team at Martin Aircraft Company (MAC) has already taken their invention for test flights in the Southern Alps, above New Zealand’s South Island. And now they are raising funds to build and test a second prototype ahead of commercial production.
“We see our technology being used in so many ways, from recreational activities like skydiving and base jumping to search-and-rescue operations, firefighting and military applications,” says Peter Coker, CEO of MAC. “There are also applications in commercial aviation such as cargo transport and fast access to hard-to-reach locations such as power lines or oil rigs.”