Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Oh, HERE'S My Jetpack















Kym of Thinking in Vain and Copyranter of Copyranter both alerted me to a story in the news today of an inventor in Mexico named Juan Manuel Lozano Gallegos, who claims to have invented a jetpack, or "RocketBelt," as he calls it.

Some problems:

  • His only successful flights have been tethered, and even then, he's spinning uncontrollably just 4 feet off the ground.
  • His design is a copy of the same jetpack invented in 1961, seen in an old James Bond film and at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
  • His supposedly successful untethered flight is only shown in photos, and in those photos he is 2 inches off the ground.
  • His RocketBelt weighs 70 lbs.
  • His RocketBelt makes a noise very similiar to that of a real commercial jet.
  • His RocketBelt will set you back $250,000, which he claims you can quickly make up through "special events, promotions, advertising, elections campaigns, concerts, movies, TV commercials etc."
It would seem Mr. Gallegos is really good at PR and managed to get some news outlets to pick up his story, hoping to make some fast (and big) cash off his amazing flying machine.

Not buying, Juan. Until these babies are lighter, cheaper, quieter - oh yeah - and ACTUALLY FLY, I am not your customer.

So, the blog title will remain what it is and the question is still a valid one.

I had something like these in mind.














Image above from the book Skyjets for Fliers of Tomorrow
©1954, by Albert Whitman & Company, Chicago.

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5 Comments:

  • Yes, but at least there's been some progress!

    ;p

    By Blogger Thinking In Vain, at April 4, 2007 at 8:31 AM  

  • Um, that's hilarious. :D

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at April 6, 2007 at 8:28 AM  

  • Oh, and his has bunny ears.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at April 6, 2007 at 2:49 PM  

  • Dudes why are taking it all so hard? I saw a piece about this cool nonprofit organization on the local news one night. Their goal is to make "future" stuff like jetpacks. check it out: www.zapmenow.org

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at April 6, 2007 at 4:36 PM  

  • Hmmmm - I smell comment "seeding" in the attempt to get zapmenow some traffic.

    Would I be wrong to assume the above comment was left by none other than David Filmore, Founder/President of zapmenow.org?

    I wish you well, sir - and when you actually develop this craft I will change the blog's name. Wait - when I, me personally, have a jetpack, THEN I will change the blog's name.

    The name is really tongue in cheek and does not speak to jetpacks alone. "Jetpack" is just a symbol for all the awesome goodness we were promised as children; a glorious future of peace and wealth and universal brotherhood, no death or sickness or strife. Heaven on Earth!

    Look around. It ain't here. Never will be. Utopia won't ever happen here. Too many haters out there bent on destruction.

    Sorry - long winded. But seriously, gimme a jetpack when you're done.

    By Blogger RFB, at April 6, 2007 at 5:13 PM  

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