THE MARTIN JETPACK

Many people have seen the Martin Jetpack flying with assistants running beside, or holding on to safety handles for beginners and have wondered “Is the Jetpack stable?”

The answer is that the machine has a natural degree of stability. In fact the aircraft is so stable, that one of the confidence building exercises trainee pilots try is to “let go” of the controls and fly “hands free”. When they do this the aircraft stops and maintains a stable hover!

The idea of a naturally stable aircraft is normal for fixed wing pilots but is quite unique for VTOL aircraft. There are number of reasons for this, however the most powerful effect is the design of the relative positions of the Center of Pressure (CoP) and the Center of Mass (CoM).

The Center of Pressure, due to the propulsion of air, is approximately at the bottom of the ducts. The center of mass is lower, around half of the machine height. Due to symmetry, this is true for both the frontal and sides planes - pitch and roll. 

As the machine is tilted off-balance, the center of pressure acts as a fulcrum for the system to rotate around. The center of mass will immediately produce a force that swings the aircraft back to its position directly below the fulcrum, just as a pendulum or keel would.

The further out of vertical the aircraft is the more forceful the correction force is. When the aircraft is vertical there is little or no correction force, which results in a small but observable wobble. With practice pilots can correct this and appear very stable indeed.

 

To fly the aircraft in anything other than a hover the control vanes are used to create a force vector to tilt the machine in the desired direction much like a Helicopter rotor.

For this to be effective, it is necessary to keep the center of mass in normal flight directly below the center of pressure. The machine, therefore, is suited to different pilots by moving the horizontal position of the seat prior to take-off. For example, a heavier pilot has their seat fastened relatively near to the engine, while a lighter pilot will be further away. Once the seat is positioned to balance a particular pilot it does not change during flight.

The Jetpack is such a powerful idea that several people have tried to develop them. The first serious attempts were instigated by the US military in the 1950s.  The idea was to build an ultimate 'all terrain vehicle' to move military commanders around a battlefield.  The Bell Rocket Belt was the most successful and first flew in 1961.   Unfortunately it only flew for 26 seconds, leading Mark Jannot of Popular Science Magazine to say in March 2006… “ I myself was most disappointed to discover that a Jetpack that will burn for longer than 30 seconds is out of reach.”

Our research and development program has spanned almost 30 years. The Martin Aircraft Company was founded in 1998 specifically to develop a jetpack that could fly 100 times longer than the 26 seconds of the Bell Rocket Belt.

The project was based on a concept developed by Glenn Martin in 1981 and verified by the University of Canterbury, Mechanical Engineering Department, in New Zealand.  In 2005, the 9th prototype achieved sustained flight times, laying the foundation for a viable and successful pre-production prototype to be developed.

The Martin Jetpack is equipped with a 'Ballistic Parachute'. If something untoward happens the pilot pulls a toggle and a small propellant (similar to one used in a car airbag) is fired rapidly deploying a parachute. The pilot, Jetpack and parachute descend as one.  The use of  'ballistic parachutes' is now quite common in general aviation. For example, they are standard equipment on the Cirrus series of single engine aircraft.

Flying any type of aircraft, whether light aircraft, ultralights or a commercial airliner carries a certain amount of risk. The Martin Jetpack is not necessarily any less safe than other ultralights. Light helicopters do not come equipped with ballistic parachutes and can only survive an engine failure if it occurs at a reasonable height. Light, fixed-wing aircraft require a large field to land in and are designed to land at relatively high speed. A small footprint VTOL aircraft like our Jetpack does not have these limitations. In conjunction with our VTOL consultants we feel that we can make the Martin Jetpack significantly safer than any Jetpack yet built.

That depends on the particular country's regulations. In the U.S. market technically you do not require a license to fly an Ultralight. However to attempt to fly any aircraft without professional instruction is extremely foolhardy.  The Martin Jetpack is a unique aircraft and all owners are required to pass the Martin Aircraft Company approved training program before receipt of their aircraft.

Helicopters require a tail rotor to counteract the rotor torque; this and the articulated head complicate flying, construction and maintenance enormously. The Jetpack is designed to be Torque Neutral - there is no tail rotor, no collective, no articulating head or foot pedals. This simplifies flying dramatically. Pitch and roll are controlled by one hand. Yaw and the throttle by the other.

As is standard in the aircraft industry, the buyer pays a 10% deposit, to ensure a production slot. Progress payments are made during manufacture and final payment on delivery.  Details and a deposit contract are available on the website.

Delivery for the first customers will be approximately 12 months from order.

Some people will use these for work; most of us will not be able to do this for some time.  The automobile has too many advantages for most people, some still ride motorcycles, but the majority prefer the comfort of a car.  In addition, with the current air traffic control system commuting would not be possible. The US FAA is currently developing a “highways in the sky” technology; basically 3D highways based on automated GPS tracks. Initial tests have been positive but the full system is not likely to be implemented for at least 10 years.

Thus the main use for Jetpacks will initially be recreational. This is similar to current ATV, snowmobile, jet ski, and ultralight use.

Most definitely! The Jetpack is a science fiction icon. Many science fiction icons are now reality! For example:

Communication satellites -  first conceived by science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke and now so common place it seems hard to imagine a world without them.

Cell phones - were only available to James Bond in the early 1960's. Now we can send video over the network.

Martin Aircraft has built several prototypes so we have a good idea how much they cost to manufacture. Depending on production volume,  the initial cost will be about the same as a high-end motorcycle or car. As volume increases this will drop to be similar to a mid-range motorcycle or car.

For the recreational market they will use premium gasoline, the same as an automobile.

Compared to other ultralites the Martin Jetpack is very cheap to operate and maintain.

Currently the pilot must weigh over 140 lbs and under 240 lbs.   Pilots must pass our unique Martin Aircraft training program.