zx9r
Expert Class
Posts: 227
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posted February 07, 2002 12:37 PM
 Edited By: zx9r on 7 Feb 2002 12:39
I would like to have one of these!!!
 Personal 'jetpack' gets off the ground
February 6, 2002 Posted: 9:02 AM EST (1402 GMT)
By Daniel Sieberg
CNN Sci-Tech
(CNN) -- It may only hover a few feet
above the Earth right now, but the
inventor of the SoloTrek XFV hopes that
one day it will allow people to swoop and
dive at distances comparable to a small
airplane.
But unlike a plane, the SoloTrek "jetpack"
is being designed to land on a dime with
more maneuverability than a helicopter.
California-based Millennium Jet is the
company behind the SoloTrek, which is still
in the research and development phase.
The 325-pound machine uses a combination
of ducted fans, an internal combustion
engine, computer codes and onboard
electronics to provide its lift. By adjusting
the SoloTrek's handles, a standing pilot is
able to guide the direction and altitude of
the machine. It runs for about two hours on
a tank of gas or heavy fuel such as
kerosene.
Michael Moshier, chief executive officer of Millennium Jet, says he came up with
the idea while doodling on a napkin about five years ago. A few years later the
company broke its secrecy, and this past December Moshier managed to pilot the
SoloTrek to a height of about two feet while protected by a safety tether.
Admittedly, Moshier says the height sounds minimal, but he says it was important
in demonstrating how it could eventually work. He says he was only willing to test
it at a height from which he didn't mind falling.
And what if the engine quit when a pilot is much h igher in the air? Moshier says a
rocket-propelled parachute or ejection seat will be part of the SoloTrek. Pilots
would also wear helmets and be protected from inclement weather.
After college, Moshier himself served for six years as a U.S. Navy officer,
including a stint as a jet aircraft combat pilot during the Vietnam War.
Passion for flight
Although Moshier says the SoloTrek is currently too unstable to reach higher
speeds or altitudes, the company is redesigning the control system to balance and
harness its power.
According to Millennium Jet's computer models, SoloTrek will eventually be able
to fly at altitudes of nearly 8,000 feet for about 120 nautical miles and reach speeds
up to 80 mph. It will be primarily sold to the military, and later aimed at police,
fire departments and search and rescue teams. Ultimately, it may one day reach the
civilian market.
This summer, Moshier hopes to demonstrate a more advanced prototype, and by
2003 he says he plans to make a functioning unit available to the U.S. Special
Forces.
Initially a solely self-funded venture, Moshier says he also has received resources
and technical advice from NASA and a sizable chunk of funding from the U.S.
Defense Department. To date, he says nearly $3 million has been spent on the
prototype.
But despite the high cost, it's a passion for Moshier, who says he's "always dreamed
of being able to fly."
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22348bCVC
Zone Head
Posts: 798
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posted February 07, 2002 01:13 PM
Edited By: 22348bCVC on 7 Feb 2002 13:14
...man, I'd LOVE to hunt and chase badguys with that...but my K9 would shit on my shoes...he hates it when he realizes how high off the ground he is..he even head-butted one of our helicopter pilot's head with his muzzle on one training flight because he wanted OUT!NOW!...still, solo flying would be way coool!!!!!
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...just relax...my dog wants to use only one of your legs...
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kcadby
Pro
Posts: 1733
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posted February 07, 2002 05:34 PM
I'll take TWO please 
ONE with turbo n NOS 
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