This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018 (12-15 July) will include the European debut of the world’s most advanced jet pack.
Manufactured by California-based JetPack Aviation and flown by CEO David Mayman, the JB11 is expected to fly up Goodwood’s iconic Hill Climb and will form part of a Future Lab exhibition that focuses on space exploration, autonomous transport, robotics and personal flight (
www.jetpackaviation.com).
The JB11 is capable of topping 200mph and reaching heights of more than 10,000ft; it can fly for up to 12min. It weighs just 50kg and is strapped to the back of the pilot, who can take off vertically at the push of a button.
It achieved Federal Aviation Administration certification earlier this year.
It uses regular kerosene jet fuel or car diesel to power its six turbojet engines (only four are needed for it to fly, with two spare in case of emergency).
The engines are started by small electric starter motors and controlled by a throttle on the pilot’s right control handle.
Mr Mayman said: “We are the world’s only manufacturer of true personal VTOL JetPacks. We can take off and land vertically, unlike anything else out there.
“There was the ‘rocket-belt’ in the 1960s, but that ran on H2O2 fuel and could only fly for a maximum of 30sec.”