It's inevitable to draw parallels between Fritz Unger's Skyflash jetpack and Yves "Jetman" Rossy. But unlike Rossy's jetpack, Unger's Skyflash is designed to take off from the ground, as opposed to being dropped out of an aircraft.
The 55-pound jetpack has wings that span over 11 feet across and is powered by two micro-turbine diesel jet engines. Unger's Skyflash can reportedly hit cruising speeds of 78 miles per hour, reach an altitude of 11,800 feet, and fly a total of 62 miles within one hour. Skyflash is also said to be capable of carrying a maximum weight of 354.94 pounds (that's including the pilot) and taking off from the ground using an undercarriage with 10-inch wheels.
As if that doesn't already sound great on paper, Skyflash is supposedly controlled from an 8-inch "graphic display strapped to the pilot's arm" according to Gizmag:
"The controls for Skyflash are alarmingly simple. In addition to the wrist display, there’s a throttle held in the pilot’s right hand. Climbing and steering are achieved by the pilot shifting his body weight. The heat-proof boots worn aren't just a precaution, but a design feature because the jets’ thrust angle is controlled by dipping the boots into the exhaust like the control vanes on a V2 rocket. To turn, the pilot stretches out an arm and climbing is done by bending the knees."
The current prototype is built out of "aviation plywood covered with shrink-wrap plastic to keep costs down." If the prototype is successful, a "Skyflash I" will be constructed with glass-fiber and more powerful engines.
There's no doubt that Skyflash is an ambitious project, but we'll get really excited when it proves to be flightworthy. It does look awesome just sitting there on the ground, though.
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