[BITList] Jetman fulfills destiny, actually flies in formation with jets

[John Feltham]

Full Screen Please.

Jetman fulfills destiny, actually flies in formation with jets





It's one thing to just call yourself "Jetman." Yeah, you've got a wingsuit with jets mounted on it, yawn. But when you can actually fly in formation with jet aircraft, well, okay, then you can go ahead and call yourself Batman, Superman, Iron Man, or Jetman. You've earned it, dude.

Yves Rossy has been working on his jet-powered wingsuit for several years, and after numerous upgrades leading to a carbon-fibre wing with a quartet of miniature jet engines, he's been able to join jet aircraft in a formation flying demonstration. These jets are flying just above stall speed, and the jetpack (or powered wingsuit or whatever you want to call it) is at full throttle (between 120 and 180 mph), but it's still an impressive display that reflects the capabilities of this suit: it's not just a novelty anymore, it can actually keep up with a high-performance aircraft. At least, it can for about 10 minutes, until the fuel runs out.

Apparently, the next generation wing will allow takeoff from the ground, which means that yeah, it'll be a jetpack that you can put on and get airborne from your driveway. Don't miss the video down below, and start fantasizing about the day when we'll all have one of these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6n1EtkXL88&feature=player_embedded#!

Full Screen Please.






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