Flying like Superman

[Glitch Girl]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_on_hi_te/eu_britain_rocket_man

I don't know why, but this is SO cool.  I want one someday.

[BlueBard]

When I first heard of this, I thought sure he was the latest candidate for the Darwin Award.  But he pulled it off nicely.

Someday you too can be The Rocketeer!

[Uncle Yuan]

I had linked the story about this guy's first flight a few months ago - jumped from a plane over the Alps.  Very cool piece of tech - I'm surprized the miltary hasn't gotten involved.

[BlueBard]

I had linked the story about this guy's first flight a few months ago - jumped from a plane over the Alps.  Very cool piece of tech - I'm surprized the miltary hasn't gotten involved.

They're either beating themselves over the head ("Why didn't we think of that?!") or they're shrugging their shoulders ("Heck, we've been doing that for ten years.  We just couldn't tell anybody about it.")

[BlueBard]

Actually, I'm being facetious.  The tech has limited military value as he's going to run too hot to avoid detection.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Also limited range and low speed.  Any rare situation where this might be useful, a simple jet pack would be better, but probably still not that useful.  Yes, jet packs exist, although they use compressed gas, and no, they aren't very practical.  They are only used for shows and such.

[BlueBard]

Also limited range and low speed.  Any rare situation where this might be useful, a simple jet pack would be better, but probably still not that useful.  Yes, jet packs exist, although they use compressed gas, and no, they aren't very practical.  They are only used for shows and such.

You can get a heck of a lot more personnel and gear on target by other, more efficient means.

[BWPS]

He then landed atop a building and spent twenty minutes trying to modify his jetpack while Nazi soldiers and Gorilla men with whips attacked him.

The Swiss have a doomsday device AND jetpacks? Man!

[Uncle Yuan]

Actually, I'm being facetious.  The tech has limited military value as he's going to run too hot to avoid detection.

Except this guy came up with something this good essentially by himself (small group, limited financing).  With a proper budget and R&D department behind it, who knows what it could become?

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Not much.  The whole thing is rather limited no matter what kind of research you put into it.  Any kind of craft that small has a limited range period, making it pretty much a disposable craft, and anything that leaves the pilot exposed like that is very limited in just what kind of a speed and range it can have without killing said pilot.

Also, the fact is jet packs and flying wings like that just aren't that hard to make.  People do it all the time, mostly for shows and stuff, but it's really not remarkable at all.  What he did with it is, but not the technology itself.

Basically any hobbyist with enough time and money could have made something of the sort.

[The Phantom Eyebrow]

He then landed atop a building and spent twenty minutes trying to modify his jetpack while Nazi soldiers and Gorilla men with whips attacked him.

Heh, I thought that his jetpack design looked familiar all right...